Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
If you're a completist who insists on having everything that Billie Holiday recorded, The Complete Commodore Recordings is required listening. But for the more casual listener, it's best to pass on that two-CD set and stick with The Commodore Master Takes. While The Complete Commodore Recordings contains all of the alternate takes that Holiday recorded for Commodore in 1939 and 1944, this collection only concerns itself with the master takes (which total 16). Holiday never singed an exclusive contract with Commodore -- she only freelanced for the label, and the ultra-influential jazz singer spent a lot more time recording for Columbia in the 1930s and early 1940s, and for Decca from 1944-1950. But her Commodore output was first-rate, and Lady Day excels whether she's joined by trumpeter Frankie Newton's octet at a 1939 session or by pianist Eddie Heywood's orchestra at three sessions in 1944. The CD gets off to an impressive start with the controversial "Strange Fruit," a bone-chilling account of lynching in the Deep South that ended up being released on Commodore because Columbia was afraid to touch it. Holiday is also quite expressive on performances that range from "Fine and Mellow," "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues" and "Yesterdays" in 1939 to "My Old Flame," "Billie's Blues," "I'll Be Seeing You," and "He's Funny That Way" in 1944. For those with even a casual interest in Holiday's legacy, this superb CD is essential listening.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Sonny White, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - John Williams, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Milt Gabler, Producer - Lewis Allan, ComposerLyricist - Tab Smith, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra, MainArtist - Frank Newton, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Dougherty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Stanley Payne, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1939 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jerome Kern, Composer - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - John Williams, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Otto Harbach, Author - Milt Gabler, Producer - Tab Smith, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Newton, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Dougherty, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy McLin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stanley Payne, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1939 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sonny White, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Williams, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Milt Gabler, Producer - Tab Smith, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra, MainArtist - Frank Newton, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Dougherty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1939 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sonny White, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Harold Arlen, ComposerLyricist - Ted Koehler, ComposerLyricist - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - John Williams, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Milt Gabler, Producer - Ted Smith, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Newton, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Dougherty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Kenneth Hollon, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy McLin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stan Payne, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1939 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Dorothy Parker, ComposerLyricist - Sidney Catlett, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Vic Dickenson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Doc Cheatham, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Jack King, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Walters, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lem Davis, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sidney Catlett, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Arthur Johnston, ComposerLyricist - Sam Coslow, ComposerLyricist - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Vic Dickenson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Heywood, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Doc Cheatham, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - John Simmons, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Lem Davis, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sidney Catlett, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Roy Turk, ComposerLyricist - Fred E. Ahlert, ComposerLyricist - Vic Dickenson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Heywood, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Doc Cheatham, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - John Simmons, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Teddy Walters, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lem Davis, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sidney Catlett, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Edward Heyman, ComposerLyricist - Johnny Green, ComposerLyricist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Vic Dickenson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Heywood, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Doc Cheatham, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - John Simmons, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Teddy Walters, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lem Davis, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sidney Catlett, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sammy Fain, Composer - Irving Kahal, Author - Milt Gabler, Producer - Vic Dickenson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Heywood, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Doc Cheatham, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - John Simmons, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Teddy Walters, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lem Davis, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billie Holiday, MainArtist - E.Y. HARBURG, ComposerLyricist - Milt Gabler, Producer - John W. Green, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
George Gershwin, Composer - Ira Gershwin, Author - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Milt Gabler, Producer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billie Holiday, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Herman Hupfeld, ComposerLyricist - Milt Gabler, Producer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Neil Moret, ComposerLyricist - Richard A. Whiting, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Heywood, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sidney Catlett, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Oscar Hammerstein II , ComposerLyricist - Sigmund Romberg, ComposerLyricist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Eddie Heywood, Piano, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - John Simmons, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billie Holiday, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Eddie Heywood, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sidney Catlett, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Billie Holiday, MainArtist - Dorothy Fields, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy McHugh, ComposerLyricist - Milt Gabler, Producer - Eddie Heywood, Piano, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - John Simmons, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1944 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
If you're a completist who insists on having everything that Billie Holiday recorded, The Complete Commodore Recordings is required listening. But for the more casual listener, it's best to pass on that two-CD set and stick with The Commodore Master Takes. While The Complete Commodore Recordings contains all of the alternate takes that Holiday recorded for Commodore in 1939 and 1944, this collection only concerns itself with the master takes (which total 16). Holiday never singed an exclusive contract with Commodore -- she only freelanced for the label, and the ultra-influential jazz singer spent a lot more time recording for Columbia in the 1930s and early 1940s, and for Decca from 1944-1950. But her Commodore output was first-rate, and Lady Day excels whether she's joined by trumpeter Frankie Newton's octet at a 1939 session or by pianist Eddie Heywood's orchestra at three sessions in 1944. The CD gets off to an impressive start with the controversial "Strange Fruit," a bone-chilling account of lynching in the Deep South that ended up being released on Commodore because Columbia was afraid to touch it. Holiday is also quite expressive on performances that range from "Fine and Mellow," "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues" and "Yesterdays" in 1939 to "My Old Flame," "Billie's Blues," "I'll Be Seeing You," and "He's Funny That Way" in 1944. For those with even a casual interest in Holiday's legacy, this superb CD is essential listening.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 00:51:17
- Main artists: Billie Holiday
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: GRP
- Genre: Jazz Vocal Jazz
© 2000 UMG Recordings Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2000 UMG Recordings Inc.
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.