This
Storyville
series is always a mixed bag, but their goal is to be one. They try to offer -- consistently so -- the best material from all stages of an individual artist's career.
Billie Holiday
is a case in point. There are some gorgeous early and middle performances here, such as the opening reading of
Duke Ellington
's
"Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me"
with
Teddy Wilson
, the live
"Billie's Blues,"
and
"Lover Man."
There are also some later cuts here that are on the other side of
Holiday
's beautiful voice, such as the live
"Strange Fruit,"
"You're Driving Me Crazy,"
and a stellar version of
"I Cover the Waterfront."
Most of these cuts are live or from radio transcriptions, and generally this is not the place to start with the great vocalist, but is more for serious collectors only. ~ Thom Jurek