BILLIE HOLIDAY - Stay With Me
Jazz Images 38011
BILLIE HOLIDAY, vocals; CHARLIE SHAVERS, trumpet; TONY SCOTT, clarinet; BUDD JOHNSON, tenor sax; BILLY TAYLOR, piano; BILLY BAUER, guitar; LEONARD GASKIN, bass
COZY COLE, drums
New York, February 14, 1955.
Musical director: LEROY LOVETT
On 8-14: Billie Holiday (vcl) Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard or Alvin Stoller (d).
Los Angeles, May 1952.
On 15-20: Billie Holiday (vcl), Joe Newman (tp), Paul Quinichette (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b), Gus Johnson (d).
New York, July 27, 1952.
The basis for this album is ‘Stay With Me’ Verve MGV 8302. Norman Granz was trying to recreate the kind of group that Billie worked with in the 1930s. This session in 1955 produced seven tracks.
Billie Holiday is simply the greatest singer that jazz has produced. The readings that she gives to popular tunes of her day can reveal depths that probably the writers of the lyrics never envisaged. There are numerous examples on this CD. The one that stands out is ‘Love For Sale’ the stark lyrics are sung from the perspective of a prostitute. She sings it as though for the first time; you hear it as if for the first time.
It was fortunate that Norman Granz managed to put her under contract in what proved to be her final years. He surrounded her with what he thought were sympathetic players and many of them were. Billy Taylor is particularly appropriate as is the ever reliable and inventive, Budd Johnson.
One incidental delight on the bonus tracks is to hear Billie singing with Paul Quinichette, sounding, as he always did, just like Lester Young.
Some have argued that the Billie of the thirties was far more fluent and her voice was in better shape. Miles Davis interviewed in the early fifties argued that he would rather hear the Billie of the fifties. ‘She’s become much more mature….. She still has control, probably more control now than then.’ Miles was right, she had learnt how to invest lyrics with unique timings, meanings and profundity.
Billie had a love life that did not run smoothly and she had a great ability to choose men who were going to give her pain. Indeed, in many of her songs there is an underlying masochism. Listen to ‘My Man’. But even if you know little of her story you would recognise someone who had a unique timbre, dramatic gifts and the ability to make ordinary lyrics memorable,
This CD is part of a collection paying homage to Jean Pierre Leloir who photographed jazz in France during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. He captured many of the leading figures. This CD is one of a collection of 50 CDs carrying images from Leloir’s archives.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Jazz Images 38011
BILLIE HOLIDAY, vocals; CHARLIE SHAVERS, trumpet; TONY SCOTT, clarinet; BUDD JOHNSON, tenor sax; BILLY TAYLOR, piano; BILLY BAUER, guitar; LEONARD GASKIN, bass
COZY COLE, drums
New York, February 14, 1955.
Musical director: LEROY LOVETT
On 8-14: Billie Holiday (vcl) Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard or Alvin Stoller (d).
Los Angeles, May 1952.
On 15-20: Billie Holiday (vcl), Joe Newman (tp), Paul Quinichette (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b), Gus Johnson (d).
New York, July 27, 1952.
The basis for this album is ‘Stay With Me’ Verve MGV 8302. Norman Granz was trying to recreate the kind of group that Billie worked with in the 1930s. This session in 1955 produced seven tracks.
Billie Holiday is simply the greatest singer that jazz has produced. The readings that she gives to popular tunes of her day can reveal depths that probably the writers of the lyrics never envisaged. There are numerous examples on this CD. The one that stands out is ‘Love For Sale’ the stark lyrics are sung from the perspective of a prostitute. She sings it as though for the first time; you hear it as if for the first time.
It was fortunate that Norman Granz managed to put her under contract in what proved to be her final years. He surrounded her with what he thought were sympathetic players and many of them were. Billy Taylor is particularly appropriate as is the ever reliable and inventive, Budd Johnson.
One incidental delight on the bonus tracks is to hear Billie singing with Paul Quinichette, sounding, as he always did, just like Lester Young.
Some have argued that the Billie of the thirties was far more fluent and her voice was in better shape. Miles Davis interviewed in the early fifties argued that he would rather hear the Billie of the fifties. ‘She’s become much more mature….. She still has control, probably more control now than then.’ Miles was right, she had learnt how to invest lyrics with unique timings, meanings and profundity.
Billie had a love life that did not run smoothly and she had a great ability to choose men who were going to give her pain. Indeed, in many of her songs there is an underlying masochism. Listen to ‘My Man’. But even if you know little of her story you would recognise someone who had a unique timbre, dramatic gifts and the ability to make ordinary lyrics memorable,
This CD is part of a collection paying homage to Jean Pierre Leloir who photographed jazz in France during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. He captured many of the leading figures. This CD is one of a collection of 50 CDs carrying images from Leloir’s archives.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
