Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday

Great Women Of Song: Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday
Great Women Of Song: Bill...
Billie Holiday
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Great Women Of Song: Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
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Great Women Of Song: Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday
Great Women Of Song: Bill...
Billie Holiday
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Great Women Of Song: Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
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Blue Moon - Billie Holiday
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Blue Moon Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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Blue Moon Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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Moonglow - Billie Holiday
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Moonglow Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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Moonglow Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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Solitude - Billie Holiday
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Solitude Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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Solitude Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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Lover Man - Billie Holiday
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Lover Man Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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Lover Man Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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My Man - Billie Holiday
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My Man Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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My Man Pseudo Video
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Crazy He Calls Me - Billie Holiday
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Crazy He Calls Me Pseudo V...
Billie Holiday
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Crazy He Calls Me Pseudo Video
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Don't Explain - Billie Holiday
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Don't Explain Pseudo Video...
Billie Holiday
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Don't Explain Pseudo Video
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I'll Look Around - Billie Holiday
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I'll Look Around Pseudo Vi...
Billie Holiday
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I'll Look Around Pseudo Video
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I'll Be Seeing You - Billie Holiday
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I'll Be Seeing You Pseudo...
Billie Holiday
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I'll Be Seeing You Pseudo Video
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God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday
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God Bless The Child Pseudo...
Billie Holiday
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God Bless The Child Pseudo Video
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Lady Sings The Blues - Billie Holiday
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Lady Sings The Blues Pseud...
Billie Holiday
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Lady Sings The Blues Pseudo Video
Billie Holiday
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I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Billie Holiday, Somni
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I've Got My Love To Keep...
Billie Holiday, Somni
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I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm Somni Remix
Billie Holiday, Somni
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I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Billie Holiday
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I've Got My Love To Keep...
Billie Holiday
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I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm Somni Remix
Billie Holiday
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Recital - Billie Holiday
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Recital 96kHz/24-bit
Billie Holiday
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Recital 96kHz/24-bit
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday 96kHz/24-bi...
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday 96kHz/24-bit
Billie Holiday
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Music For Torching - Billie Holiday
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Music For Torching 192kHz/...
Billie Holiday
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Music For Torching 192kHz/24-bit
Billie Holiday
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Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday At Newport - Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald
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Ella Fitzgerald & Billie...
Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald
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Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday At Newport 192kHz/24-bit
Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald
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Solitude - Billie Holiday
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Solitude 192kHz/24-bit/Rei...
Billie Holiday
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Solitude 192kHz/24-bit/Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Essential Billie Holiday: Carnegie Hall Concert Recorded Live - Billie Holiday
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The Essential Billie Holi...
Billie Holiday
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The Essential Billie Holiday: Carnegie Hall Concert Recorded Live 192kHz/24-bit/Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Songs For Distingué Lovers - Billie Holiday
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Songs For Distingué Love...
Billie Holiday
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Songs For Distingué Lovers 192kHz/24-bit/Reissue
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An Evening With Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday
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An Evening With Billie Ho...
Billie Holiday
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An Evening With Billie Holiday Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Songs For Distingue Lovers - Billie Holiday
Songs For Distingue Lover...
Billie Holiday
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Songs For Distingue Lovers
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Ultimate Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday
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Ultimate Billie Holiday Re...
Billie Holiday
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Ultimate Billie Holiday Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Priceless Jazz 2 : Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday
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Priceless Jazz 2 : Billie...
Billie Holiday
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Priceless Jazz 2 : Billie Holiday Part 2 / Reissue
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Jazz Masters 47: Billie Holiday Sings Standards - Billie Holiday
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Jazz Masters 47: Billie H...
Billie Holiday
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Jazz Masters 47: Billie Holiday Sings Standards Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Definitive Collection - Billie Holiday
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The Definitive Collection...
Billie Holiday
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The Definitive Collection Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Billy Remembers Billie - Billie Holiday
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Billy Remembers Billie Rei...
Billie Holiday
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Billy Remembers Billie Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Lover Man - Billie Holiday
DIGITAL
Lover Man Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Lover Man Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Lady Sings The Blues - Billie Holiday
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Lady Sings The Blues Reiss...
Billie Holiday
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Lady Sings The Blues Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Jazz At The Philharmonic - Billie Holiday
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Jazz At The Philharmonic E...
Billie Holiday
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Jazz At The Philharmonic Expanded Edition / Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Commodore/Decca Masters - Billie Holiday
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The Complete Commodore/De...
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Commodore/Decca Masters
Billie Holiday
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All Or Nothing At All - Billie Holiday
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All Or Nothing At All Reis...
Billie Holiday
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All Or Nothing At All Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Lady Sings - Billie Holiday
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The Lady Sings Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Lady Sings Reissue
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The Blues Are Brewin' - Billie Holiday
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The Blues Are Brewin' Reis...
Billie Holiday
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The Blues Are Brewin' Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Diva - Billie Holiday
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Diva Replacement UPC
Billie Holiday
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Diva Replacement UPC
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The Commodore Master Takes - Billie Holiday
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The Commodore Master Take...
Billie Holiday
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The Commodore Master Takes Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Billie Holiday Songbook - Billie Holiday
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The Billie Holiday Songbo...
Billie Holiday
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The Billie Holiday Songbook Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits - Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday's Greatest...
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday For Lovers - Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday For Lovers...
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday For Lovers Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Lady In Autumn: The Best Of The Verve Years - Billie Holiday
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Lady In Autumn: The Best...
Billie Holiday
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Lady In Autumn: The Best Of The Verve Years Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Billie's Best - Billie Holiday
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Billie's Best Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Billie's Best Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Commodore Recordings - Billie Holiday
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The Complete Commodore Re...
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Commodore Recordings
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Decca Recordings - Billie Holiday
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The Complete Decca Record...
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Decca Recordings
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Billie Holiday On Verve 1945 - 1959 - Billie Holiday
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The Complete Billie Holid...
Billie Holiday
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The Complete Billie Holiday On Verve 1945 - 1959
Billie Holiday
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Jazz 'Round Midnight - Billie Holiday
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Jazz 'Round Midnight Reiss...
Billie Holiday
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Jazz 'Round Midnight Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Singin' The Blues - Billie Holiday
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Singin' The Blues Reissue
Billie Holiday
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Singin' The Blues Reissue
Billie Holiday
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The Decca Singles Vol. 1: 1945-1949 - Billie Holiday
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The Decca Singles Vol. 1:...
Billie Holiday
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The Decca Singles Vol. 1: 1945-1949
Billie Holiday
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The Decca Singles Vol. 2: 1949-1951 - Billie Holiday
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The Decca Singles Vol. 2:...
Billie Holiday
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The Decca Singles Vol. 2: 1949-1951
Billie Holiday
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Velvet Mood - Billie Holiday
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Velvet Mood MFiT
Billie Holiday
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Velvet Mood MFiT
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At Jazz At The Philharmonic - Billie Holiday
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At Jazz At The Philharmon...
Billie Holiday
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At Jazz At The Philharmonic MFiT
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Stay With Me - Billie Holiday
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Stay With Me MFiT
Billie Holiday
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Stay With Me MFiT
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Billie Holiday: Verve Ultimate Cool - Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday: Verve Ult...
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday: Verve Ultimate Cool
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The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945-1959 - Billie Holiday
The Complete Billie Holid...
Billie Holiday
CD
 
The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945-1959
Billie Holiday
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Songs For Distingue Lovers - Billie Holiday
Songs For Distingue Lover...
Billie Holiday
CD
 
Songs For Distingue Lovers Classics International Version
Billie Holiday
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Summertime - The Best Of... - Billie Holiday
Summertime - The Best Of....
Billie Holiday
CD
 
Summertime - The Best Of...
Billie Holiday
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Billie Holiday: Ken Burns's Jazz - Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday: Ken Burns...
Billie Holiday
CD
 
Billie Holiday: Ken Burns's Jazz
Billie Holiday
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First Issue: The Great American Songbook - Billie Holiday
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First Issue: The Great Am...
Billie Holiday
eAlbum Audio
 
First Issue: The Great American Songbook
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My Greatest Songs - Billie Holiday
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My Greatest Songs
Billie Holiday
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My Greatest Songs
Billie Holiday
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BIOGRAFIA
Here at the Verve Music Group we are fortunate and honored to have so many of Billie Holiday's classic recordings in our jazz catalog. Billie's recordings from Commodore, Decca, and Verve all reside here.

Billie Holiday (1915-59) was one of jazz’s greatest song stylists. Her ability to make a song her own by imposing her personality on it in an era when most singers remained faithful to
the composer’s lead sheet anticipated many vocalists as stylistically diverse as Frank Sinatra and, in a later generation, Joni Mitchell.

She was born Eleanora Harris in Philadelphia to teenage parents. Her mother, Sadie Harris,
raised her in Baltimore while working as a domestic servant. Her father, Clarence Holiday,
was a professional musician who visited her on occasion but wasn’t around much while she was growing up. She was a problem child with constant truancy problems, and at the age
of nine she was sent to a Catholic home for wayward girls for several months.

When she was in her middle teens she moved to New York. She changed her name to
Billie Holiday in the late 1920s when she was working one of her first club jobs.
Louis Armstrong was an inevitable early influence, as was Bessie Smith, but by the
time she first recorded she sounded like no one else.

In 1933 John Hammond, a wealthy jazz lover with record company connections,
produced her first record date. By 1935 she had become a regular in a series of informal
recording sessions organized by Hammond and pianist Teddy Wilson, using leading
players and singers from whatever big bands were in town. By the following year she
had begun to record under her own name as well. She did brief stints with the big bands
of Count Basie (1938) and Artie Shaw (1939), but band singing didn’t suit her temperament.
More important to her career development was an engagement in 1939 at Café Society,
one of the first integrated nightclubs in New York. She attracted a sophisticated crowd
that was affluent and politically liberal — the perfect setting for her to introduce "Strange Fruit", an anti-lynching song a generation ahead of the protest hits of the Vietnam War
era. It became a signature piece for her, but it also signified a change in artistic direction
in another way. On her earlier recordings, Holiday had been used much like a horn, taking her solo after the opening instrumental chorus. Now the instrumental and vocal roles were reversed, with an occasional brief horn or piano solo in the middle of her vocal performance.

In 1943 Holiday signed a contract with Decca Records, The resulting recordings were more
pop-oriented then her previous output, surrounding her with large string-laden orchestras.
This period marked her peak as a vocalist from a commercial point of view. Unfortunately, her drug use and unstable love relationships were beginning to undermine her career, stunting her chances of broad acceptance. And many jazz aficionados longed for her to return to making the type of jazz-oriented records she had made in the 1930s.

In 1952 Holiday began a five-year association on record with jazz impresario Norman Granz, who put her in the studio with compatible musicians, often from his Jazz at the Philharmonic troupe. By now her voice was showing wear and tear from the years of hard living, but her true talent had always had been in the filtering of a song through her personality and experience, and plenty of both show through in the series of recordings she made for Granz.

In early 1958 Holiday recorded the album Lady in Satin with Ray Ellis’s orchestra. Her
voice was almost completely gone, but expressively the album is one of her finest. Holiday’s
health continued to decline, and in the spring of 1959 she was taken to a hospital for treatment of cirrhosis of the liver and malnutrition. Five days before her death she was arrested in her hospital bed on narcotics charges.

The facts of Billie Holiday’s life are tragic to say the least, but in her recordings she
made art out of that life.

Phil Bailey

Excerpted from Ken Burns’ Jazz: The Definitive Billie Holiday (Verve)

(Photo credits: The Verve Music Group)