Billie Holiday & The Ellingtonians - Complete Recordings 1935 - 1937

Billie Holiday's recordings from the '30s are not only historically important documentation of the development of the Holiday art and style.

They also constitute the most important body of "small-group" jazz recordings of the swing age. In historical importance, they stand proudly beside the efforts of Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Billie sang for the Count Basie Orchestra during 1937-1938 (she made her Apollo Theater debut with the Orchestra) and the majority of her recordings feature Basie sidemen, the most important of whom is Lester Young.

These recordings are interesting because they feature Duke Ellington sidemen: Barney Bigard, Cootie Williams, Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges. Also of interest is the first track, "Big City Blues". This piece is from a short film called Symphony in Black from 1935. It represents the only extant example of both the Ellington Orchestra and Billie Holiday at their '30s peak performing together.

Tracklist:
1. Big City Blues
2. These N' That N' Those
3. You Let Me Down
4. Spreadin' Rhythm Around
5. It's Like Reaching For The Moon
6. These Foolish Things
7. I Cried For You
8. Guess Who
9. Easy To Love
10. With Thee I Swing
11. The Way You Look Tonight
12. Who Loves You
13. Pennies From Heaven
14. That's Life I Guess
15. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
16. Carelessly
17. How Could You
18. Moanin' Low
19. Sun Showers
20. Sun Showers - Louis Armstrong
21. Yours and Mine
22. Yours and Mine - Louis Armstrong
23. I'll Get By
24. Mean To Me

Billie Holiday & The Ellingtonians - Complete Recordings 1935 - 1937
(320 kbps, cover art included)