Billie Holiday - 1992 - The Complete On Verve (1945-1959)

This is a rather incredible collection: ten CDs enclosed in a tight black box that includes every one of the recordings Verve owns of Billie Holiday, not only the many studio recordings of 1952-57 (which feature Lady Day joined by such jazz all-stars as trumpeters Charlie Shavers and Harry "Sweets" Edison, altoist Benny Carter, and the tenors of Flip Phillips, Paul Quinichette and Ben Webster). Also included are prime performances at Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts in 1945-1947, an enjoyable European gig from 1954, her "comeback" Carnegie Hall concert of 1956, Holiday's rather sad final studio album from 1959, and even lengthy tapes from two informal rehearsals. It's a perfect purchase for the true Billie Holiday fanatic. (AllMusic)

Includes a 220-page book with liner notes, photographs, reproductions 
of Billie Holiday's Verve album covers, and extensive interviews with 
Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Rowles, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Barney Kessel. 
Of 10 CDs contained in the set, 8 are of studio and concert 
recordings, including her Carnegie Hall debut concert, Jazz At The 
Philharmonic recordings, Lady Day's last recording session, and 2 
unissued alternate takes. The other 2 CDs contain rehearsal sessions.

Personnel includes: 
Billie Holiday (vocals)
Willie Smith, Benny Carter (alto saxophone)
Illinois Jacquet, Wardell Gray, Charlie Ventura, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Flip Phillips (tenor saxophone)
Howard McGee, Buck Clayton, Charlie Shavers, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Roy Eldridge (trumpet) 
Trummy Young (trombone)
Red Norvo (vibraphone)
Milt Raskin, Ken Kersey, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Clark, Billy Taylor, Jimmy Rowles, Wynton Kelly, Tony Scott, Mal Waldron (piano)
Freddie Green (guitar) 
Tiny Grimes, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis (electric guitar) 
Charles Mingus, Curly Russell, Al McKibbon, Ray Brown, Red Mitchell, Milt Hinton, Joe Benjamin (bass) 
David Coleman, J.C. Heard, Alvin Stoller, Ed Shaughnessy, Cozy Cole, Jo Jones (drums).

Producers include:
Norman Granz, Ray Ellis, Leonard Feather, Leroy Lovett, Tony Scott.

Compilation producer: Phil Schaap.
Includes liner notes by Buck Clayton, Phil Schaap, Bob Porter, and Joel E. Siegel.

Digitally remastered by Thomas "Curly" Ruff, Suha Gur, Andrew Nicholas, Joseph M.Palmaccio, Patrick Ryan (Polygram Studios).

THE COMPLETE BILLIE HOLIDAY ON VERVE, 1945-1959 won the 1994 Grammy 
Award for "Recording Package," "Album Notes" and "Historical Album."

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