Billie Holiday
Much has been written about the great Lady Day, unfortunately most of it sensationalizing her tragic life, rather than recognizing her tremendous contribution to music. She was greatly influenced by the blues singer, Bessie Smith, as well as by Pops (Louis Armstrong.) Her horn-like phrasing, flawless sense of time, and her ability to completely rework countless melodies - these attributes made her, if not the first, one of the greatest jazz singers. Billie died young, but in her relatively short life, went through several musical transformations. Her later recordings are often considered inferior, as her destructive lifestyle had taken a toll on her voice. But listen to Lady in Satin and judge for yourself. (We like it.)
Billie was a fascinating woman, but please don't rely on Lady Sings The Blues (movie with Diana Ross) for biographical information. It is based on Billie's autobiography of the same title, which was ghost-written by William Dufty, under dubious conditons, and which focusses on the sensational aspects of her life. Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday by Robert O'Meally is a good book. It has a ton of amazing pictures, not just of Billie, but of a lot of the cats she worked with - and it also discusses Billie Holiday as the musician that she was. Wishing on the Moon by Donald Clarke, we also recommend. It retraces her steps in depth, relating her life to her music.
;)
;)
;)
