The Quintessential Billie Holiday Vol. 1-9
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The Quintessential Billie Holdiay, Vols. 1-9 is a terrific multi-volume series that chronicles all of Holiday's master takes for Columbia Records between 1933 and 1942.
The set is available as nine separate discs, all of which are essential for true Holiday fans.
Neophytes who are slightly intimidated by the size of this series should look to Volume 2 as a starting point.



The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.1: 1933-1935

After years of reissuing Billie Holiday's recordings in piecemeal fashion,
Columbia finally got it right with this nine-CD Quintessential series.
All of Lady Day's 1933-1942 studio recordings (although without the alternate takes) receive the treatment they deserve in this program.
Vol. 1 has Holiday's first two tentative performances from 1933 along with her initial recordings with Teddy Wilson's all-star bands.
High points include "I Wished on the Moon," "What a Little Moonlight Can Do,"
"Miss Brown to You," and "Twenty-Four Hours a Day."

1. Your Mother's Son-In-Law
2. Riffin' The Scotch
3. I Wished On The Moon
4. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
5. Miss Brown To You
6. A Sunbonnet Blue
7. What A Night, What A Moon, What A Girl
8. I'm Painting The Town Red
9. It's Too Hot For Words
10. Twenty-Four Hours A Day
11. Yankee Doodle Never Went To Town
12. Eeny Meeny Miney Mo
13. If You Were Mine
14. These 'N' That 'N' Those
15. You Let Me Down
16. Spreadin' Rhythm Around


The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.2: 1936

The second of nine volumes in this essential series continues the complete reissue of Billie Holiday's early recordings (although the alternate takes are bypassed).
This set is highlighted by "I Cried for You" (which has a classic alto solo from Johnny Hodges), "Billie's Blues" (from Holiday's first session as a leader), "A Fine Romance," and "Easy to Love".
Holiday's backup crew includes such greats as pianist Teddy Wilson, baritonist Harry Carney, trumpeters Jonah Jones and Bunny Berigan, and clarinetist Artie Shaw. There's lots of great small-group swing.

1. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday
2. It's Like Reaching For The Moon - Billie Holiday
3. These Foolish Things - Billie Holiday
4. I Cried For You - Billie Holiday
5. Guess Who - Billie Holiday
6. Did I Remember? - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
7. No Regrets - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
8. Summertime - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
9. Billie's Blues - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
10. A Fine Romance - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
11. I Can't Pretend - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
12. One, Two, Button Your Shoe - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
13. Let's Call A Heart A Heart - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
14. Easy To Love - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
15. With Thee I Swing - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra
16. The Way You Look Tonight - Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra


The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.3: 1936-1937

The third of nine CDs that document all of Billie Holiday's studio recordings of 1933-1942 for Columbia has classic versions of "Pennies From Heaven," "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" (on which she shows the influence of Louis Armstrong),
and "My Last Affair," along with Lady Day's first meeting on record with tenor saxophonist Lester Young.
Their initial encounter resulted in four songs, including "This Year's Kisses" and "I Must Have That Man." 

1. Who Loves You?
2. Pennies From Heaven
3. That's Life I Guess
4. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)
5. One Never Knows-Does One?
6. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
7. If My Heart Could Only Talk
8. Please Keep Me In Your Dreams
9. He Ain't Got Rhythm
10. This Year's Kisses
11. Why Was I Born
12. I Must Have That Man
13. The Mood That I'm In
14. You Showed Me The Way
15. Sentimental & Melancholy
16. My Last Affair


The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.4: 1937

The fourth of nine CDs in this essential series of Billie Holiday's studio recordings of 1933-1942 features the great tenor Lester Young on eight of the 16 performances.
Prez and Lady Day make a perfect match on "I'll Get By" (although altoist Johnny Hodges steals the honors on that song), "Mean to Me," "Easy Living," "Me, Myself and I," and "A Sailboat in the Moonlight."
Other strong selections without Young include "Moanin' Low," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and "Where Is the Sun?" 

1. Carelessly
2. How Could You?
3. Moanin' Low
4. Where Is The Sun?
5. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
7. I Don't Know If I'm Coming Or Going
8. Sun Showers
9. Yours And Mine
10. I'll Get By
11. Mean To Me
12. Foolin' Myself
13. Easy Living
14. I'll Never Be The Same
15. Me, Myself And I
16. A Sailboat In The Moonlight


The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.5: 1937-1938

The fifth of nine CDs in the complete reissue of Billie Holiday's early recordings (sans alternate takes), this great set has 18 selections, all but four featuring tenor saxophonist Lester Young and trumpeter Buck Clayton.
Among the classics are "Getting Some Fun Out of Life," "Trav'lin' All Alone," "He's Funny That Way," "My Man," "When You're Smiling" (on which Prez takes a perfect solo), "If Dreams Come True," and "Now They Call It Swing."

1. Born To Love
2. Without Your Love
3. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life
4. Who Wants Love?
5. Trav'lin' All Alone
6. He's Funny That Way
7. Nice Work If You Can Get It
8. Things Are Looking Up
9. My Man
10. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
11. My First Impression Of You
12. When You're Smiling
13. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
14. If Dreams Come True
15. Now They Call It Swing
16. On The Sentimental Side
17. Back In Your Own Backyard
18. When A Woman Loves A Man


The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.6: 1938

The sixth of nine CDs in this very worthy series traces Billie Holiday's recording career throughout much of 1938.
Although not containing as many true classics as Vol. 5, most of these 18 selections are quite enjoyable, particularly "You Go to My Head," "Having Myself a Time," "The Very Thought of You," and "They Say.

1. You Go To My Head - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
2. The Moon Looks Down And Laughs - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
3. If I Were You - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
4. Forget If You Can - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
5. Having Myself A Time - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
6. Says My Heart - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
7. I Wish I Had You - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
8. I'm Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away The Key) - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
9. The Very Thought Of You - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
10. I Can't Get Started - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
11. I've Got A Date With A Dream - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
12. You Can't Be Mine (And Someone Else's Too) - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
13. Everybody's Laughing - Billie Holiday
14. Here It Is Tomorrow Again - Billie Holiday
15. Say It With A Kiss - Billie Holiday
16. April In My Heart - Billie Holiday
17. I'll Never Fail You - Billie Holiday
18. They Say - Billie Holiday


The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.7: 1938-1939

By 1939 when the bulk of these 17 selections were recorded, Billie Holiday was dominating her own recordings, allocating less space for her sidemen to solo.
This was not really a bad thing since Lady Day's voice was getting stronger each year.
On the seventh of nine CD volumes that reissue all of Holiday's 1933-42 Columbia recordings (other than the alternate takes which have been bypassed), Holiday sounds at her best on "More than You Know, Sugar" (featuring a superb Benny Carter alto solo), "Long Gone Blues" and "Some Other Spring."


1. You're So Desirable - Bille Holiday
2. You're Gonna See Alot Of Me - Bille Holiday
3. Hello, My Darling - Bille Holiday
4. Let's Dream In The Moonlight - Bille Holiday
5. That's All I Ask Of You - Bille Holiday
6. Dream Of Life
7. What Shall I Say?
8. It's Easy To Blame The Weather
9. More Than You Know
10. Sugar (That Sugar Baby O' Mine)
11. You're Too Lovely To Last
12. Under A Blue Jungle Moon
13. Everything Happens For The Best
14. Why Did I Always Depend On You?
15. Long Gone Blues
16. Some Other Spring
17. Our Love Is Different

The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.8: 1939-1940

The eighth of nine volumes that feature all of the master takes from Billie Holiday's Columbia recordings of 1933-1942
is one of the better sets, although all nine CDs are recommended. High points include "Them There Eyes," "Swing, Brother, Swing," "The Man I Love," "Ghost of Yesterday," "Body and Soul," "Falling in Love Again," and "I Hear Music."
Among the variety of all-stars backing her, tenor saxophonist Lester Young makes his presence known on eight of the 18 numbers.

1. Them There Eyes
2. Swing, Brother, Swing
3. Night And Day
4. The Man I Love
5. You're Just A No Account
6. You're A Lucky Guy
7. Ghost Of Yesterday
8. Body And Soul
9. What Is This Going To Get Us?
10. Falling In Love Again (Can't Help It)
11. I'm Pulling Through
12. Tell Me More And More, And Then Some
13. Laughing At Life
14. Time On My Hands
15. I'm All For You
16. I Hear Music
17. The Same Old Story
18. Practice Makes Perfect


The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 9 (1940-1942)

The final volume in this nine-CD series contains all of Billie Holiday's recordings from her final 16 months with the label.
Highlights include "St. Louis Blues," "Loveless Love," "Let's Do It," "All of Me"
(arguably the greatest version ever of this veteran standard), "Am I Blue," "Gloomy Sunday" and "God Bless the Child."
All 153 of Lady Day's Columbia recordings (even the occasional weak item) are well worth hearing and savoring.

1. St. Louis Blues
2. Loveless Love
3. Let's Do It
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. Romance In The Dark
6. All Of Me
7. I'm In A Low-Down Groove
8. God Bless The Child
9. Am I Blue?
10. Solitude
11. Jim
12. I Cover The Waterfront
13. Love Me Or Leave Me
14. Gloomy Sunday
15. Wherever You Are
16. Mandy Is Two
17. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
18. Until The Real Thing Comes Along