Customer Reviews

Musical Romance

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

There has been much talk about Billie Holiday's voice. There's the sweet early voice, the mature voice of the later years, drug and whiskey-soaked, with the impeccable timing, and then there is this. Billie Holiday CDs flood my collection, but this remarkable collaboration stands alone as absolutely the finest. Cut after cut, it just keeps coming.
I've been anticipating it since I heard the praises of someone who was at the session, and raved about the melding, emotion and artistry generated between Billie Holiday and Lester Young. This session was a musical pinacle for two legends who were also lovers at their last rendevous. Everyone present knew it was the last, and became transfixed by the magic going down. Billie dug deep and came up with her finest. Buy this now, and be transported by the best of two giants of jazz...

Yeah, this is a really nice disc: it's about the best compilation of the tracks of Billie singing with Pres backing her up. Now, Billie sang with lots of fine musicians, and I'm not sure it's necessary to overemphasize the particular relationship between Billie and the Pres. In any case--as I've said--this is a really nice disc and a great compilation: the sound is absolutely excellent--plus, it seems to me that the producers have cannily increased the volume track ever so slightly, to give the Pres' solos that extra touch: if so, they've done an outstanding job!

A final note on this question of the "Fine and Mellow" track: the track featured here is a studio track recorded on 7 Dec. 1957 as a rehearsal for the following day's live telecast "The Sound of Jazz" (8 Dec. 1957).

The studio track (7 Dec. 1957) featured here is 6:19.

The live telecast track (8 Dec. 1957) is 8:46. (It can be found on Vol. 3, Billie Holiday Broadcast Performances [1956-58] on ZYX Music [Esp label] from Germany.)

Holiday and Young are an absolutely inspired duo for a CD. Two musical legends performing together at arguably both their peaks (late '30's). From "The Man I Love" through "Fine and Mellow" each song showcases the great saxophone sounds of Lester Young with the perfect voice of Billie Holiday. This is a perfect blend, as if they were meant to perform together. The songs create a mellow yet heady atmosphere that it's easy to drift into.
(Warning: don't try to play this CD as background music. You'll just stop whatever else you're doing and listen.)
Such wonderful music is difficult to write about because written adjectives don't suffice to convey the beauty of the sounds.
Suffice it to say that if you are a fan of either artist or want a good introduction to them, this CD is a must.
Also features such luminaries as Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson and Johnny Hodges.

This is a great compilation. Of course, everyone who knows the comprehensive nine CD collection from Columbia (The Quintessential Billie Holiday) will have favorites that are missing from this selected greats, but this disc is representative of the electric interaction of Lester Young and Billie Holiday. It really does record a musical romance. Songs like "This Years' Kisses" underpinned by Teddy Wilson's piano, Freddie Greene's guitar, Walter Page's bass and Jo Jones' drums are classics. Holiday is the legendary "Lady Day" and Young is her bolster and foil. She simply handles songs, takes them as her own and defines them--musically, emotionally, poetically. Her style is always her own and it's instantly recognizable. Billie Holiday defines rhythm, phrasing, meaning with a poignancy that cannot be matched. Or described. Young is her perfect accompanist. He too is lyrical, poignant, pointedly emotional. So here we have classic settings of "I Must Have That Man," "When You're Smiling," "Without Your Love," "He's Funny That Way," and Holiday's own "Fine and Mellow." There are other collections featuring Lester Young and Billie Holiday, but this one is certainly a respectable cross section. And it also has the added bonus of classic jazz accompaniment by Wilson, trumpeter Buck Clayton, Benny Goodman and other giants of the swing era.

I just wanted to disagree strongly with what M.S.F. wrote about the last track on this compilation. It comes from a live CBS TV broadcast, The Sound of Jazz, from either 1957 or 1958, and thoroughly deserves to be included. Agreed that by then Billie's voice had pretty much gone, and Lester was mainly just going through the motions, but the track is one of the last times they recorded together; although technically it's not their finest work, it is nonetheless very affecting.

Actually, it has been reissued a number of times, earlier on VHS but subsequently on DVD and you really have to see it as well as hear it to get the full effect. At one point, Billie turns to Lester with such a look of love; I always find that unbearably moving.

I was prompted to write this review in response to the mediocre review by another listener. These tracks include seminal recording dates organized by pianist Teddy Wilson, with the rhythm section of Jo Jones on drums, Walter Page on bass, and Freddie Green on rhythm guitar. In addition to Lester Young "The Prez" on tenor sax, soloists include Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet. As indicated by the album title the interplay between Billie Holiday and Lester Young is incredible - The Prez is absolutely in synch with where Lady Day is going with the mood, and the talented ensemble moves with them. In particular give "Back In Your Own Backyard", "Me, Myself and I" and "A Sailboat in the Moonlight" a listen. If you have ears it doesn't get any better than this.

"In their recordings, especially those from 1937 and 1938, their voices wound around one another like twin strands of some beautiful vine. At their best, they became, almost literally, one voice." ~ Tom Piazza ~

Every jazz lover knows that "Lady Day" was the nickname Lester Young gave to Billie Holiday and she called the great tenor saxophonist "Pres" - short for "The President." Together, they have made beautiful music as showcased in this essential CD, "A Musical Romance." It is a compilation of songs with beautiful melodies and dramatic lyrics they both recorded between 1937 and 1958 starting with one of the most-recorded gems from George and Ira Gershwin, "The Man I Love" highlighting Lester Young's remarkable sax solo.

Billie Holiday and Lester Young complement each other and their performances on all sixteen tracks are all winners. Likewise, all the song interpretations remained faithful to the very essence of this album's romantic theme. Ms. Holiday's unique vocals and Mr. Young's mastery of his favorite instrument blended so well to make an incredible chemistry. The result is truly "a musical romance."

One of the most incredible tracks is an exuberant and very pleasant version of "When You're Smiling." You'll also be delighted with "I'll Never Be The Same" recorded in 1937 showcasing Pres' stunningly beautiful obligato, and same is true with "He's Funny That Way."

Some of the greatest musicians involved in these recordings include Benny Goodman and Buster Bailey (clarinet), Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Teddy Wilson and Mal Waldron (piano), Harry Edison and Buck Clayton (trumpet), Freddie Green (guitar), Walter Page (string bass), Jo Jones (drums), Benny Morton (trombone), Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster (tenor sax), among others.

This is one of the best-ever compilations produced by Sony Music and I most definitely recommend it to all jazz enthusiasts' listening pleasure.

"If music be the food of love, play on." ~ William Shakespeare (1564-1616) ~

Billy and Lesterr are so wonderful together. I am a big fan of both and was very excited to get this CD of them together. Lady Day and the Pres sound like they are having a love affair not only with the music but wth each other. Any jazz fan of music of this time periiod should own this CD. Teddy Wilson on paino, Buck Clyaton on trumput and Johhny Hodges on alto join in to make this "A mucical romance that will never die" quote from the liner notes. I have always loved Billy and this recording is one of her best she sounds better than ever. So glad I found this recording I am sure I will play it again and again.

Although this compilation is very good, and a lot is made of the "musical romance," what stands out the most is the support of the other great musicians. At the same time, for me, it is hard to ignore the background hiss behind most of the songs. It should have been cleaned up.

After a while, you feel like you get the same cache of songs with whatever Billie Holiday CD you purchase. It's always the same popular songs so that it's hard to differentiate one cd from the other. This one definitely stands alone, and is actually quite different from some of the others I own. The vocals and lyrics are the same you'd expect from the queen, but the music is a bit more upbeat which almost counteracts with Holiday's content sometimes. I like it very much though. And lyrically, this is some of her best work.