Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits

Product Description:

Personnel includes: Billie Holiday (vocals); Bill Stegmeyer, Milter Yaner (alto saxophone, clarinet); Toots Mondello, Al Klink, Lem Davis (alto saxophone); Lester Young, Budd Johnson, Hank Ross, Art Drellinger, Armand Camgros (tenor saxophone); Stan Webb (baritone saxophone); Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Buck Clayton, Russ Case, Joe Guy (trumpet); Dickie Wells, Henderson Chambers (trombone); Horace Henderson, Bobby Tucker, Sammy Benskin, Bernie Leighton (piano); Mundell Lowe, Tiny Grimes, Tony Mottola (guitar); George Duvivier, John Simmons, John Levy, Bob Haggart (bass); Shadow Wilson, Denzil Best, Sid Catlett, Norris "Bunny" Shawker, Specs Powell, Cozy Cole, Nick Fatool (drums); The Gordon Jenkins Singers (background vocals).

Producers include: Milt Gabler.

Compilation producer: Andy McKaie.

Recorded between 1944 and 1950. Includes liner notes by Steven Lasker and an interview with Milt Gabler by Andy McKaie.

Holiday produced some of her best-known work during her tenure with Decca in the '40s. Holiday was a full-fledged star by the time she came to Decca, with the youthful exuberance and light vocal approach of the 1930's behind her. She exhibits the maturity and sensitive, well-measured delivery that is characteristic of her finest performances. As this is the period of Holiday's pop balladry, large-scale orchestral arrangements and lush string accompaniments are the order of the day. The brilliance of Lady Day's art is dazzling, however, and the tunes (as the title indicates) are indeed her greatest.

Definitive productions of "God Bless The Child," "My Man," and "T'aint Nobody's Bizness If I Do" are the stuff of legend. Holiday's voice paints the rainbow of her much-mythologized life in sad, sensual colors. While there are a few missteps in arrangement (namely the choral intro to "God Bless The Child"), classic takes of "Good Morning, Heartache" and "Lover Man" are beyond criticism, standing as perfect examples of this jazz legend's art.