Billie Holiday - Lady Sings The Blues

Although Billie Holiday's repertoire covered barely more than a dozen pure blues numbers during the course of her long career from 1933 to 1959, music critics always referred to her as the "Lady [who] sings the blues." And that hasn't changed to this day.

Her interpretations were a benchmark against which all aspiring singers were measured. Highly expressive, almost visual ballads went hand in hand with Billie Holiday's life and voice - and only she could sing them! Her voice was always embedded in the sound carpet produced by her accompanying musicians: Tony Scott and Paul Quinichette are two names who made their mark on her music in the mid-fifties and the rhythm group of Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell and Chico Hamilton is really first class. The trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, a longtime friend from the Count Basie Band, sensitively accompanies the singer's mature voice.

Heavyweight vinyl produced by Verve Records in 2025.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Lady Sings the Blues
2. Trav'lin' Light
3. I Must Have That Man
4. Some Other Spring
5. Strange Fruit
6. No Good Man
7. God Bless the Child
8. Good Morning Heartache
9. Love Me or Leave Me
10. Too Marvelous for Words
11. Willow Weep for Me
12. I Thought About You