When I hear music like this-- a 4xCD box set collecting highlights from Billie Holiday's 1933-1944 tenure on Columbia-- I tend to get as close to the music as possible. For me, listening to records this old begins with the specific timbral qualities of the recordings-- the crackles, the hiss, the way the ends of the sonic spectrum slope gently away from the always-dominant midrange, where, in this case, the horns and vocals reside. In the 1930s record buyers were amazed by the fidelity of these 78s, but now newcomers are apt to refer to this music as 'lo-fi'; the music sounds its age. Titles like 'What a Little Moonlight Can Do' and 'One, Two, Button Your Shoe' also serve to fix the music firmly in a distant past, one only clearly remembered by octogenarians. These records are artifacts, which is an inescapable part of their appeal, and that begins with the specific qualities of the recorded sound. Given this, the tendency to enshrine the music in museums is understandable and even natural, even though it may not serve the music itself. In 2001 Columbia Records released Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia 1933-1944, a 10xCD box set collecting all the sides Holiday recorded for the imprint during the period, from which this set selects. Dec 23, 2017 - Anchored by 'Strange Fruit,' the stark evocation of malignant American racism that would become one of her signature songs, this chronicle of. Jazz buffs widely consider these to be her greatest years, when she was young (still in her teens when the first sides appeared), healthy, and, for the first few years of her tenure, wasn't yet shackled with her Queen of Pain persona. She was a singer working with some of the best musicians in the business and her name wasn't always the first name to appear on the record label. In the early going it was more likely to be that of pianist Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra. People were paying to hear Roy Eldridge on trumpet and Lester Young on tenor saxophone, and if there was an interesting girl singer with a sassy tone and unusual phrasing, all the better. 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 album 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,' '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 album is essential listening. Glad you found us again. We could restore most of the postings, but sadly we lost all your encouraging comments. The music on this blog is intended to promote artists and labels and eventually to save the sound for future listening. It is made out of passion, without any commercial purpose. It aims to be a resource and research tool for the exploration of music as a part of cultural and social history, as a form of critique and celebration. If you like the music, go try and buy the original if available. ![]() Support the artists, visit their concerts or do anything else to support cultural activities. If you disagree with a post, tell us and it shall be removed. In case of a future close down of this blog, please check out.
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