Lady Day

Description

Columbia CL637 MONO RE-MASTERING by RAY STAFF at AIR MASTERING, LYNDHURST HALL, LONDON. Excerpt from George Avakians notes on the album sleeve: When planning this album, I had a hellish time trying to choose what I thought were the absolute cream of Billie Holiday. In the course of this wrestling, it struck me that not only were Billies vocals incredibly perfect, but that I could not remember a single instance of anyone playing a bad solo or even a bad phrase among the hundred or more performances I had to choose from in the golden period of her work. Checking over records (which was almost unnecessary, because I could still remember them almost note for note) was a rather beautiful and somewhat shattering experience. Jazz, a product of so many things musical evolution, the social scene of a particular time, the economic atmosphere of the moment, what somebody had for breakfast that day and none of those tings will ever come together again as they did when these records were made.

Personnel & Recording Dates : A, 1, 2 & 3 : ( July 2, 1935) Roy Eldridge, trumpet; Benny Goodman, clarinet; Ben Webster, tenor sax; Teddy Wilson, piano; John Truehart, guitar; John Kirby, bass; Cozy Cole, drums. A, 4: (October 25, 1935) Benny Morton, trombone; Chu Berry, tenor sax; & Dave Barbour, guitar, replace Goodman, Webster & Truehart. A, 5 & 6: (July 10, 1936) This is from Billies first session under her own name. Bunny Berigan, trumpet; Art Shaw, clarinet; Joe Bushkin, piano; Dick McDonough, guitar; Pete Peterson, bass; Cozy Cole, drums. B, 1: (January 25, 1937) Teddy Wilson, piano; Buck Clayton, trumpet; Benny Goodman, clarinet; Lester Young, tenor sax; Freddie Green, guitar; Walter Page, bass; Jo Jones, drums. B, 2 & 3: (June 1, 1937) Buster Bailey replaces Goodman. B, 4 & 5: (June 15, 1937) From Billies fifth session under her own name. Jimmy Sherman replaces Wilson, Ed Hall replaces Bailey. B, 6: (June 30, 1936) Teddy Wilson, piano; Jonah Jones, trumpet; Johnny Hodges, alto sax; Harry Carney, baritone sax; Lawrence Lucie, guitar; John Kirby, bass; Cozy Cole, drums.