• Artist: Billie Holiday
• Flags: Compilation (best of)
• Type: Compilation
• Rating:
• Styles: Vocal Jazz, Traditional Pop, Swing
• Track Picks: "Good Morning Heartache," "Strange Fruit"
• Similar Albums: Ultimate Divas [Box], Cote d'Azur Concerts on Verve, This Is Jazz, Vol. 36: Plays Standards, Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald, 1945-1946, At Birdland 1956, That Old Gang of Mine, 1944-1945, Chanteuses de Jazz: 1921-1939, The Commodore Story

Review

Shirley Horn compiled The Ultimate Billie Holiday, a 16-track selection of her best-known songs that offers an excellent introduction to her Verve recordings. Although purists and collectors will have little use for this set, it suits the purposes of neophytes and curious listeners quite well. Among the highlights are "Lover, Come Back to Me," "Body and Soul," "Solitude," "He's Funny That Way," "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," "Strange Fruit," "God Bless the Child" and "Lady Sings the Blues." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	iTunes	Composers	Performers	Time
Lover, Come Back to Me		Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II	Billie Holiday	(3:35)
Good Morning Heartache		Ervin Drake, Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham	Billie Holiday	(3:29)
Body and Soul		Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton	Billie Holiday	(3:18)
I Can't Face the Music		Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler	Billie Holiday	(3:15)
Solitude		Irving Mills, Eddie DeLange, Duke Ellington	Billie Holiday	(3:29)
I Cried for You		Abe Lyman, Gus Arnheim, Arthur Freed	Billie Holiday	(3:23)
My Man		Albert Willemetz, Jacques Charles, Channing Pollack, Maurice Yvain	Billie Holiday	(2:55)
I Must Have That Man!		Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields	Billie Holiday	(3:04)
He's Funny That Way		Richard Whiting, Neil Moret	Billie Holiday	(3:11)
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone		Sam H. Stept, Sidney Clare	Billie Holiday	(4:19)
Don't Explain		Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.	Billie Holiday	(2:26)
Strange Fruit		Lewis Allan	Billie Holiday	(3:05)
God Bless the Child		Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.	Billie Holiday	(3:58)
Some Other Spring		Arthur Herzog Jr., Irene Kitchings	Billie Holiday	(3:36)
Fine and Mellow		Billie Holiday	Billie Holiday	(3:28)
Lady Sings the Blues		Herbie Nichols, Billie Holiday	Billie Holiday	(3:44)

Credits

Tony Scott (Clarinet), Tony Scott (Piano), Tony Scott (Director), Buck Clayton (Trumpet), Harry "Sweets" Edison (Trumpet), Roy Eldridge (Trumpet), Wardell Gray (Sax (Tenor)), Freddie Green (Guitar), Chico Hamilton (Drums), Shirley Horn (Selection), Illinois Jacquet (Sax (Tenor)), Wynton Kelly (Piano), Barney Kessel (Guitar), Charles Mingus (Bass), Red Mitchell (Bass), Joe Newman (Trumpet), Oscar Peterson (Piano), Jimmy Rowles (Piano), Willie Smith (Sax (Alto)), Charlie Ventura (Sax (Tenor)), Charlie Shavers (Trumpet), Dave Barbour (Guitar), Aaron Bell (Bass), Howard McGhee (Trumpet), Coleman Hawkins (Sax (Tenor)), Robert Silverberg (Production Assistant), Al Cohn (Sax (Tenor)), Benny Carter (Sax (Alto)), Billie Holiday (Vocals), Billie Holiday (Main Performer), Norman Granz (Producer), Ray Brown (Bass), Larry Bunker (Drums), Kenny Burrell (Guitar), Will Friedwald (Sequencing), Gus Johnson (Drums), Lenny McBrowne (Drums), Aric Lach Morrison (Production Coordination), Peter Pullman (Editing), Paul Quinichette (Sax (Tenor)), Milt Raskin (Piano), Fernando Santos (Research), Richard Seidel (Supervisor), John Simmons (Bass), Carson Smith (Bass), Alvin Stoller (Drums), Carl Drinkard (Piano), Andrew Nicholas (Digital Assembly), Herman Leonard (Photography), Nichell Delvaille (Design Coordinator), Cicero Deguzman, Jr. (Art Direction), Cicero Deguzman, Jr. (Design), Samantha Black (Production Assistant)