Billie Holiday

This release contains all of the complete small group studio master takes recorded by the great Billie Holiday during the period from 1952 to 1957, when she was working for Norman Granz's labels. She is backed by a who's who of jazz greats and performs a selection of celebrated standards.

As a bonus, an instrumental version of “Just Friends” taped during those sessions, the only three existing complete alternate takes from the period, a wonderful all-star version of “Fine and Mellow”, and Holiday's only two songs performed at the Plaza Hotel in 1958 with Buck Clayton on trumpet.

Songs are presented in chronological order and include all of the material from the following LPs:

- BILLY HOLIDAY (Clef MGC-161) [10” LP],
- AN EVENING WITH BILLIE HOLIDAY (MGC-144),
- BILLY HOLIDAY SINGS (MGC-118),
- LADY SINGS THE BLUES (Clef MGC-721),
- STAY WITH ME (Verve MGV-8302),
- MUSIC FOR TORCHING WITH BILLY HOLIDAY (Clef MGC-669),
- VELVET MOOD (Clef MGC-713),
- ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL (Verve MGV-8329),
- BODY AND SOUL (Verve MGV-8197),
- and SONGS FOR DISTINGUÉ LOVERS (Verve MGVS-6021).

PERSONNEL:

BILLIE HOLIDAY, vocals on all tracks, with:

PLUS SMALLS GROUPS INCLUDING:

· HARRY "SWEET" EDISON, JOE NEWMAN, trumpet
· TONY SCOTT, clarinet
· BENNY CARTER, WILLIE SMITH, alto sax
· BEN WEBSTER, FLIP PHILLIPS, tenor sax
· OSCAR PETERSON, JIMMY ROWLES, WYNTON KELLY, piano
· BARNEY KESSEL, KENNY BURRELL, HERB ELLIS, guitar
· RAY BROWN, RED MITCHELL, bass
· ALVIN STOLLER, CHICO HAMILTO, drums

AMONG OTHERS ...

CD 1 : TOTAL TIME: 76:01

01. East of the sun 2:56
02. Blue moon 3:30
03. You got to my head 2:55
04. You turned the tables on me 3:27
05. Easy to love 3:00
06. These foolish things 3:37
07. I only have eyes for you 2:55
08. Solitude 3:30
09. Everything I have is yours 3:46
10. Love for sale 2:58
11. Moonglow 3:01
12. Tenderly 3:23
13. If the moon turns green 2:47
14. Remember 2:36
15. Autumn in New York 3:43
16. My man 2:37
17. Lover, come back to me 3:35
18. Stormy weather 3:43
19. Yesterdays 2:50
20. He's funny that way 3:12
21. I can't face the music 3:13
22. How deep is the ocean? 2:57
23. What a little moonlight can do 3:12
24. I cried for you 2:26

CD 2: TOTAL TIME: 77:03

01. Love me or leave me 2:36
02. P.S. I love you 3:37
03. Too marvelous for words 2:13
04. Softly 2:57
05. I thought about you 2:48
06. Willow weep for me 3:08
07. Stormy blues 3:28
08. Say it isn't so 3:03
09. I've got my love to keep me warm 3:58
10. I wished on the moon 6:49
11. Always 3:58
12. Everything happens to me 6:22
13. Do nothin' till you hear from me 5:01
14. Ain't misbehavin'4:38
15. I don't want to cry anymore 3:55
16. Prelude to a kiss 5:34
17. I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you 4:28
18. When your lover has gone 4:59
19. Holiday, Billie - Gone with the wind 3:23

CD 3: TOTAL TIME: 76:22

01. Please don't talk about me when I'm gone 4:20
02. It had to be you 4:02
03. Nice work if you can get it 3:50
04. Come rain or come shine 4:23
05. I gotta right to sing the blues 5:53
06. What's new? 4:17
07. A fine romance 3:33
08. I hadn't anyone till you 4:04
09. I get a kick out of you 5:41
10. Everything I have is yours 4:31
11. Isn't this a lovely day? 4:11
12. Trav'lin' light 3:10
13. I must have that man! 3:05
14. Some other spring 3:37
15. Lady sings the blues 3:45
16. Strange fruit 3:04
17. God bless the child 3:59
18. Good morning heartache 3:30
19. Holiday, Billie - No good man 3:18

CD 4: TOTAL TIME: 77:17

01. Do nothin' till you hear from me 4:15
02. Cheek to cheek 3:36
03. Ill wind 6:16
04. Speak low 4:28
05. We'll be together again 4:26
06. All or nothing at all 5:41
07. Sophisticated lady 4:51
08. April in Paris 3:02
09. I wished on the moon 3:27
10. Moonlight in Vermont 3:50
11. A foggy day 4:41
12. I didn't know what time it was 6:01
13. Just one of those things 5:32
14. Comes love 4:00
15. Day in, day out 6:48
16. Darn that dream 6:16

CD 5: TOTAL TIME: 77:09

01. But Not For Me
02. Body and Soul
03. Stars ell on Alabama
04. Say It Isn't So
05. Love Is Here To Stay
06. One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)
07. They Can't Take That Away From Me
08. Embraceable You
09. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
10. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You
11. Just Friends
12. Autumn In New York
13. A Fine Romance
14. Comes Love
15. Fine and Mellow
16. When Your Lover Has Gone
17. Don't Explain