Customer Reviews

Verve Jazz Masters 47: Billie Holiday Sings Standards

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I am thrilled to see how many different recordings there are of Billie Holiday material. My dismay with all these titles is that I am sure there is an enormous amount of repetition across many issues and reissues ane re-reissues.

As I am not familiar with many of these recordings, I will simply say that this CD and its companion (Verve Jazz Masters 12 and Verve Jazz Masters 47 (Sings Standards) are both excellent choices if you just happen to want a good sampling of Ms. Holliday's works. They are certainly good selections at a low price if you happen to want to find out if you wish to hear more of this renowned artist.

My greatest take on Billie Holiday's interpretations of pop standards is that she really makes you buy into the sentiments of the 'moon, June, spoon' class of song. She is also able to give a remarkable twist to classics which are not nominally Jazz standards.

My favorite is her rendition of the Ogden Nash / Kurt Weill classic song 'Sing Low'. I have heard this done by Lotte Lenya, Barbara Streisand, and Ute Lemper, to pick three very different artists, and I think Ms. Holiday and her arrangers really bring something new to this great song.

If you are simply looking for a good sampling of Ms. Holiday's work, you cannot go wrong with either of these recordings.