Search - Billie Holiday :: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.4: 1937

A Swinging Holiday Classic

Peter | East of Los Angeles | 02/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set contains perhaps Billie's best performance in the entire Quintessential series. The songs are by now all classics in the American jazz and pop catalog. How could you go wrong with Gershwin titles such as "They Can't Take That Away From Me" or "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"? Billie puts her own individual stamp on these songs by the way she swings to the beat, a rare quality not seen in jazz circles when she recorded these sides. While Billie may go on to have bigger hits in the future, her performance here can rarely be topped. Her timing, sense of swing and delivery are simply remarkable, always in proportion with and against the beat of the band, and yet sounding like one of the band at the same time. And what a band it was with the likes of Lester Young, Teddy Wilson, Buck Clayton and Ben Webster, all icons in jazz history. Listening to this CD and you may be shocked by its spontaneous and jam-session feel. Billie and the band simply fit like a hand in glove. You'll be amazed by the incredible artistry Billie shows at this young stage of her career (only 22), what instinct and feel she had for the words and melody. You will be washed over with pure joy listening to this CD because this is just inspired music making. My only wish to Sony (Columbia) is to start remastering these Quintessential CD's because the time has come for a new generation of jazz lovers to enjoy these performances with better sound quality, which is the only distraction left in the way of these classic tracks. Belissima!!"

Harlem Heyday 1937

Jahlaune K. Hunt | Brooklyn, New York United States | 12/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To say Billie was in her prime in 1937 is putting it mildly. (If you fail to believe listen to Billies "Sugar" and then listen to Ethel Water's protege Lee Wiley. Billie's "Sugar" is ever so sweeter!Even though she had just returned from a diastrous road tour. Billie was happy to be in the only city that counted, New York and it shows in these tracks. Her voice is fresh and has that imitable style that has garnered countless imitators. The road obviosly hadn't hurt holiday either because she is singing some great tunes on this album that would be obscure today had it not been for these cheap "E" juke box ARC dates.( "Underneath a blue jungle moon?" A standard gin mill song of the period you can almost see Billie going from table to table singing.) This is an album for those who have come to know Billie as only "Lady In Satin" put down your vodka buy this album and pitch a ball! This is the music that made west 133rd Street The real Swing Street!"

Billie at her best

Eytan Klausner | Chicagoland area | 06/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The inspirational performances which appear on the quintessential series of Billie Holiday entered her to the history of jazz singing and jazz. The pre-war recordings are probably the freshest and best of her whole career. Although there are other CDs in this series which contain more songs with her greatest collaborator lester young, you will not find in the other best volumes (probably 3 and 5) better music. This can be a very good place to start if you are not encountered yet with these recordings. If you know these recordings you probably don't need this recommendation."