BILLIE HOLIDAY: BODY AND SOUL (MONO)
Vinyl
Code: 49077807
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Performer: Billie Holiday, vocals; Ben Webster, saxophone; Harry "Sweets" Edison, trumpet; Barney Kessel, guitar; Red Mitchell, bass
Composer: Billie Holiday
Number of discs: 1
Barcode: 0602465124552
Label: Analogue Productions
Format: LP
Genre: Jazz
Year: 2024
Monophonic recording
A stunning new release in the Verve / Universal Music Enterprises reissue series curated by Acoustic Sounds
At least one new release each month featuring the most iconic albums of great jazz
Remastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog masters
180-gram LP pressed at Quality Record Pressings
Gatefold tip-on jacket in vintage style produced by Stoughton Printing
Series supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds
If anyone ever had the right to sing these songs, it was surely Billie Holiday. Who else could have felt so profoundly the destruction of body and soul?
Whether an innocent victim or a more or less conscious participant in her misfortunes, Billie Holiday expressed her feelings and emotions with extraordinary realism in all her songs. Shortly before the end of her intense career—her personality worn down by excessive alcohol, drugs, and a series of unhappy relationships—Holiday recorded at the Verve studios some of the most moving versions ever committed to record, covering eight beautiful tracks. The program, recorded in January 1957, included selections from popular musicals and well-known swing-era standards. Some critics suggest that Holiday gave her best thanks to the exceptional quality of the band supporting her; others believe it was the relaxed West Coast atmosphere that put her at ease, while still others think she wanted to make the most of what she felt was her last chance to showcase her immense talent. It is difficult to determine which of these theories is closest to the truth, and perhaps it is not even necessary. What is certain is that Body and Soul stands as the heartrending testament of a wounded soul and a ravaged body—the enduring image we retain of this extraordinary singer.
Billie Holiday, vocals; Ben Webster, saxophone; Harry “Sweets” Edison, trumpet; Barney Kessel, guitar; Red Mitchell, bass
Body and Soul
They Can’t Take That Away From Me
Darn That Dream
Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off
Comes Love
Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You
Embraceable You
Moonlight in Vermont