The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.7: 1938-1939

Billie Holiday | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Original Release Date: September 25, 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000274M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,296 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Billie's Performance Saves the Day, February 5, 2001

By 

Peter (East of Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.7: 1938-1939 (Audio CD)

I would not say this particular set is very memorable only because the song selection is not the strongest. Yet 3 classics emerged from these recording sessions that became part of the Holiday canon: "More Than You Know" "Some Other Spring" and "Dream of Life". The last one written by none other than a teenaged Carmen McRae who worshipped Holiday's artistry. The rest of the songs are almost forgettable that Billie somehow manages to save with her exquisite phrasing and musicianship. Compared to the earlier swinging sides, the pace here is strangely slower and more melancholic. Billie does her best to save the drecky material and mostly succeeds. The sound quality is noticeably clearer compared to the earlier Quintessentials and her backup guys are as wonderful as ever, but I wouldn't say this is an "Essential" volume in the Quintessential series.