The Diva Series

• Artist: Billie Holiday
• Rating:
• Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Vocal Music

Review

Part of Verve's Diva Series of compilations, this Billie Holiday collection is by no means the definitive account of her career -- Columbia's Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday takes that honor. That said, it is still a great introduction to the vocalist's singular and influential style. There is a timely flow to the track listing on most of the Diva Series albums, and this collection is no exception. Included are such landmark recordings as "Don't Explain," "God Bless the Child," and Holiday's haunting signature tune, "Strange Fruit." Longtime Holiday fanatics will most likely already have these recordings, but for newly interested listeners, at over 14 tracks, this competes well with other similar single-disc collections. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Them There Eyes	Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracey	Billie Holiday	(2:50)
Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)	Wesley Wilson	Billie Holiday	(2:45)
Easy Living	Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin	Billie Holiday	(3:12)
Don't Explain	Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.	Billie Holiday	(3:24)
Billie's Blues	Billie Holiday	Billie Holiday	(3:09)
Love Me or Leave Me	Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn	Billie Holiday	(2:36)
Just One of Those Things	Cole Porter	Billie Holiday	(5:32)
Good Morning Heartache	Ervin Drake, Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham	Billie Holiday	(3:30)
Speak Low	Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash	Billie Holiday	(4:27)
All or Nothing at All	Jack Lawrence, Arthur Altman	Billie Holiday	(5:41)
Strange Fruit	Lewis Allan	Billie Holiday	(3:13)
God Bless the Child	Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.	Billie Holiday	(4:00)
I Wished on the Moon	Dorothy Parker, Ralph Rainger	Billie Holiday	(3:27)
What a Little Moonlight Can Do	Harry Woods	Billie Holiday	(3:13)
Fine and Mellow	Billie Holiday	Billie Holiday	(3:19)
Lady Sings the Blues	Herbie Nichols, Billie Holiday	Billie Holiday	(3:46)

Credits

Tony Scott (Clarinet), Tony Scott (Arranger), Tony Scott (Producer), Buck Clayton (Trumpet), Harry "Sweets" Edison (Trumpet), Herb Ellis (Guitar), Tiny Grimes (Guitar), Chico Hamilton (Drums), Eddie Heywood (Piano), Eddie Heywood (Arranger), Budd Johnson (Sax (Tenor)), Wynton Kelly (Piano), Barney Kessel (Guitar), Red Mitchell (Bass), Oscar Peterson (Piano), Specs Powell (Drums), Jimmy Rowles (Piano), Ed Shaughnessy (Drums), Tab Smith (Sax (Alto)), Willie Smith (Sax (Alto)), Ben Webster (Sax (Tenor)), Charlie Shavers (Trumpet), Eddie Barefield (Clarinet), Eddie Barefield (Sax (Baritone)), Aaron Bell (Bass), Billy Butterfield (Trumpet), Cozy Cole (Drums), Horace Henderson (Piano), Al Klink (Sax (Alto)), Johnny Mince (Sax (Alto)), Frankie Newton (Trumpet), Stan Webb (Sax (Baritone)), George Duvivier (Bass), Al Cohn (Sax (Tenor)), Everett Barksdale (Guitar), Joe Benjamin (Bass), Billie Holiday (Main Performer), Wallace Bishop (Drums), Ray Brown (Bass), Mort Bullman (Trombone), Kenny Burrell (Guitar), Toots Camarata (Arranger), Big Sid Catlett (Drums), Henderson Chambers (Trombone), Pete Clark (Sax (Alto)), Shad Collins (Trumpet), George Dorsey (Sax (Alto)), Eddie Dougherty (Drums), Will Friedwald (Liner Notes), Milt Gabler (Producer), Joe Guy (Trumpet), Armand Karpoff (Viola), Leo Kruczek (Violin), Joe Mondragon (Bass), Lenny McBrowne (Drums), Dave McRae (Sax (Baritone)), Toots Mondello (Sax (Alto)), Bernie Privin (Trumpet), Paul Quinichette (Sax (Tenor)), Hank Ross (Sax (Tenor)), Bunny Shawker (Drums), John Simmons (Bass), Carson Smith (Bass), Bill Stegmeyer (Clarinet), Bill Stegmeyer (Sax (Alto)), Alvin Stoller (Drums), Allan Tucker (Mastering), Bobby Tucker (Piano), Dick Vance (Trumpet), Sonny White (Piano), John Williams (Bass), Carl Drinkard (Piano), Kenneth Hollon (Sax (Tenor)), Chuck Stewart (Photography), Sammy Benskin (Piano), Tony Faso (Trumpet), George Stevenson (Trombone), Morris Lefkowitz (Violin), Daniel Perry (Guitar), Armand Camgros (Sax (Tenor)), Jimmy McLin (Guitar), Bobby Williams (Trumpet), Stanley Payne (Sax (Tenor)), Hollis King (Art Direction), George Serloff (Violin), Art Drellinger (Sax (Tenor)), Bryan Koniarz (Supervisor), Sherniece Smith (Art Producer), Alexander Gelfand (Note Editing), Freddie Williams (Sax (Tenor)), Ken Druker (Executive Producer), George Evans (Sequencing), George Evans (Selection), Paul Lombardi (Package Design), Charles Jaffe (Violin), Gary Kelley (Illustrations), Frank Siefiels (Violin)