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A good collection of songs, the best way to start knowing the art of Billie Holiday
A rainy night, a fire in the woodstove, thinking of a lost love and Lady Day.
Whilst the Teddy Wilson/Billie Holiday series on the UK Hep label (mastered by John R T Davies) still probably have the edge this new box has a much fuller sound than on the previous mastering on the 10 cd box and the various individual compilations that followed circa 2002. What has not been advertised regarding this release is that the tracks on these 4 Cds have been again re-mastered and now offer the best sound yet from Legacy. The sheer precence of the vocals in particular is very satisfying, and there appears to be more instrumental depth and better bass reproduction - although there is also a small price to pay in that surface noise is a bit prominent on some selections.
Having said that, the 10 CD complete seemed a bit much. Problem was, this stuff is so good, I just could not seem to get enough. See what a little moonlight can do. If you're a fan of Lady Day, you probably already know that these Columbia recordings are weighted almost as heavily as Louis Armstrong's Hot 5s and 7s in the jazz heavy weight arena. Their unique aural beauty is a foregone conclusion.I originally owned volume 2, 3 and 5 of the Quintessential series then upgraded to the 2 CD, "Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday". Like I said, this is a real good fit.
They should go to a program to help abused young women. The masters at SONY would've done well to pay for the rights to include it, but maybe the current corporate owners wouldn't allow it. But don't ask why Strange Fruit is not on this set. Probably right into corporate pockets. I can understand the marketers saying that 4CD sets sell well, but why not fill the CDs completely, as they already have all tracks remastered.
Ain't that a shame. It was never on Columbia, as Columbia would not allow her to record it. Why only 20 tracks per disc, when 25+ tracks will easily fit on every CD. The 10 CD complete Columbia Box set is very good, but the packaging on that one tends to discourage listening, and it probably just sits on the shelf if anyone has it. If you don't have any classic Columbia recordings, get this.
That brings to mind, can anyone guess where the "artist's royalties" from the sale of Billie Holiday recordings go.
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