A Musical Romance

by Billie Holiday

Overview

The rapport that singer Billie Holiday and tenor saxophonist Lester Young established on their classic recordings is the stuff that dreams -- and jazz magic -- are made of. This essential collection gathers some of their very best work together, including such vintage sides as “Me, Myself and I,” “Mean to Me,” “This Year’s Kisses,” and “He’s Funny That Way” -- gorgeous performances that find the incomparable horn man and the standard-setting vocalist bringing out the very best in each other’s artistry. Holiday and Young aren’t alone in their majesty. Surrounding them are such giants of the swing era as trumpeter Buck Clayton (like Young, a star soloist of the Count Basie band), alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges from Duke Ellington's orchestra, and the leader of many of these sessions, pianist Teddy Wilson. The addition of the live “Fine and Mellow” from later in Holiday's and Young’s careers is a particularly wise choice; Billie’s knowing blues vocal and Young’s spare solo are as moving as anything in jazz.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/28/2009
Label:	Sbme Special Mkts.
UPC:	0886974848721
catalogNumber:	748487
Rank:	2782

Tracks

1. The Man I Love
2. This Year's Kisses
3. Mean to Me
4. Back in Your Own Backyard
5. I'll Never Be the Same
6. Me, Myself and I
7. Time on My Hands
8. Who Wants Love?
9. I Must Have That Man
10. Foolin' Myself
11. When You're Smiling
12. A Sailboat in the Moonlight
13. He's Funny That Way
14. Laughing at Life
15. Without Your Love
16. Fine and Mellow

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Billie Holiday   Primary Artist,Vocals
Buster Bailey   Clarinet
Danny Barker   Guitar
Buck Clayton   Trumpet
Harry Edison   Trumpet
Roy Eldridge   Trumpet
Benny Goodman   Clarinet
Freddie Green   Guitar
Johnny Hodges   Alto Saxophone
Jo Jones   Drums
Claude Thornhill   Piano
Mal Waldron   Piano
Ben Webster   Tenor Saxophone
Teddy Wilson   Piano
Lester Young   Tenor Saxophone,Track Performer
Cozy Cole   Drums
Edmond Hall   Clarinet
Benny Morton   Trombone
Joe Sullivan   Piano
Coleman Hawkins   Tenor Saxophone
Walter Page   String Bass
Jim Atlas   Bass
Artie Bernstein   String Bass
Bill Bowen   Alto Saxophone
Doc Cheatham   Trumpet
Vic Dickenson   Trombone
J.C. Heard   Drums
Allan Reuss   Guitar
Kermit Scott   Tenor Saxophone
Earle Warren   Alto Saxophone
Jack Washington   Alto Saxophone
Joe Eldridge   Alto Saxophone
Jimmy Sherman   Piano

Technical Credits

Frank Driggs   Cover Photo
Mark Fisher   Composer
Joe Goodwin   Composer
John Lange   Composer
Tom Piazza   Liner Notes
Howard Fritzson   Art Direction
Larry Shay   Composer
Fred Stryker   Composer
Mark Unterberger   Packaging Manager

Editorial Reviews

A Musical Romance gathers some of the most romantic songs Billie Holiday recorded with Lester Young, including "The Man I Love," "Time on My Hands (You in My Arms)," "I Must Have That Man," and "Who Wants Love?" Essentially a collection of some of the love songs featured on the excellent Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933 - 1944) box set, A Musical Romance offers a more focused -- and, arguably, easily digested -- way to explore the romantic side of her music. Though much of her work dealt with love won and lost, her collaborations with Young are especially lively and alluring, "He's Funny That Way," "A Sailboat in the Moonlight," and "Back in Your Own Backyard" chief among them. A charming and concise collection, A Fine Romance presents some of the very best moments from Holiday and Young's time together.

All Music Guide - Heather Phares

Neither of these sublime artists ...sounded as happy or as much like each other as when they were together.

Billboard

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