CD Odyssey Disc 1557: Billie Holiday

Today we get one of the CD Odyssey’s most uncommon sightings…a jazz review. Do not be alarmed, however. There is enough swing and easy listening mixed in to keep it enjoyable.

Disc 1557 is…. The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 4

Artist: Billie Holiday

Year of Release: 1988 but featuring music from 1937

What’s up with the Cover? Lady Day herself, clearly soaking in whatever tune she’s about to add her voice to. I’m often disappointed in what modern artists wear on stage – t-shirts, sweatshirts and old jeans you could just as well wash the car in. I wish more of them would be like Billie here, all decked out in a fancy hat, pearls and dress. Classy!

How I Came To Know It: A woman I used to date was a big fan, and Holiday made frequent appearances on her record player whenever we hung out at her place. Yes, record player. She was into records before it became a thing for the second time.

How It Stacks Up: I now have three of these “Quintessential” albums (there were a total of nine). However, none of them are true albums, so stacking up isn’t a thing. I will say of the three volumes I have (4, 5, and 9) I like this one the best. Wait – did I just inadvertently stack them up? Avert your eyes, and let’s get on with the review.

Ratings: compilation albums aren’t rated since they are not “true” albums.

It was the late eighties and Soulless Record Execs across the land huddled excitedly in wood-paneled board rooms to discuss how best to make money from the burgeoning compact disc market. They knew they could charge a lot for them, and they knew they were going to market the clean, sharp sound that they delivered. Decades of music was available to choose from, but what would rich, snobby audiophiles most want to listen to? The answer was obvious: jazz. And so enter the “Columbia Jazz Masterpieces.” And if they caught a few horny twenty-somethings like me in their dragnet as well, all the better.

The problem with “digitally remastering directly from the original analog tapes” is that your source material is still a scratchy mono record from the thirties, and nothing is going to change that. Also, in the late eighties Soulless Record Execs didn’t yet know how to make CD technology sound its best, and they were often too busy copying, pasting and hawking records to give much of a crap.

Which is all a very long and winding way to say that the production on this collection of Billie Holiday songs does not agree with me. Neither do mono recordings more generally (attention mono devotees – you are wrong. Stereo is better). Which is a damn shame because wow, was Holiday ever great.

Her voice is still famous after more than seventy years for a reason. It is an imitable combination of sweet and strong and yet full of pain. Holiday lived a short, troubled life, and it comes across in her music. Most modern renditions of classics like “How Could You?” are treated as vocal performances only; an opportunity to showcase the artist’s chops and celebrate some clever wordplay. With Billie Holiday, that playful artistry is still present, but she adds an element of storytelling that hints at the dark and troubled relationships that spawn such songs, making the experience far more engaging.

Holiday is also rightly famous for her ability slide on and off the beat, setting up unexpected phrasing that is fresh and innovative, while never feeling rushed.

A lot of these tunes make you wait a bit for that voice, with a few bars of the band playing to put you in the mood. The musicians on the record are mostly “Teddy Wilson and his orchestra” or Holiday’s own house band. Both lineups are amazing, playing a mix of jazz and swing with just the right amount of “out there, but I can still dance to it.” I’m not a jazz guy, but it is easy to love playing this skillful and it made for an enjoyable wait until Holiday grabs the mic and peels out some heartache.

This particular volume of tunes has a whole lot of very famous jazz standards (you’ll see some listed in the ‘best tracks’ below) and it is likely why I picked it over many of the other volumes that would’ve been available. However, even the tracks I was less familiar with were great, and despite the tinny, flat production the whole collection made for a fine couple of days of listening.

Best tracks: Carelessly, How Could You?, Moanin’ Low, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Mean To Me, Foolin’ Myself 

CD Odyssey Disc 1027: Billie Holiday

I’ve been checking out a bunch of metal this week, as I reacquaint myself with what’s been going on in heavy music for the past couple of decades. It has been a welcome return to one of my earliest musical loves. I don’t’ like it all, but I like enough of it to know that there will be more metal entering my collection soon.

The early favourite is Opeth, who really blew me away. I’m looking forward to hearing more from them in the near future…on my stereo.

But now, because variety is the spice of life, some jazz.

Disc 1027 is…The Quintessential Billie Holiday Volume 9

Artist: Billie Holiday

Year of Release: 1991 but featuring music from 1940-1942

What’s up with the Cover? Not much going on here - Billie Holiday and a microphone. As Bad Santa teaches us, “they can’t all be winners, kid”.

How I Came To Know It: I learned about Billie Holiday through a woman I used to date who was a big fan. The first time I heard Billie was on a record player at two in the morning, which is exactly how you should hear her. When I saw they had put out a 9-disc set of her music I grabbed the best three I could and hoped for the best. This was one of them.

How It Stacks Up:  This is a compilation album, so by the rules of the Odyssey it doesn’t stack up.

Ratings: “Best ofs” and compilations don’t get ratings, since they’re not really albums.

There is something magical about being able to enjoy music recorded 75 years ago. That magical experience is helped along considerably when your guide is Ms. Billie Holiday.

Holiday is one of history’s great vocalists, and her combination of sweet, sad and world-worn is like a warm bath you can slip into and let your mind wander. This music is pretty far from my wheelhouse (I’m not much for jazz) but there were very few songs on this record I disliked, and a lot of that success was Holiday’s delivery.

She’s better when she’s being a bit sad, and when she sang upbeat tracks like “Let’s Do It” I found myself wishing instead for Ella Fitzgerald’s playful tones. That is the only time that happened though, and on every other song I’d take Billie singing these tunes over anyone else that was offered. This is particularly true on wistful tracks like “Georgia on My Mind” that feel like they were written for her and only her. Sorry, Ray Charles. This is just…better.

Holiday follows that classic with the sexy “Romance in the Dark,” which she delivers with an aggressive jump on the beat, brazen and unapologetic. The song also has a nice piano solo and a bit of saxophone, but at a running time of 2:12 not too much of either.

Most of the recordings on this compilation are around three minutes long, which is just enough time for Holiday to cast a spell, play a little with the melody and let some of the fine jazz musicians playing with her have a responsibly brief solo. I think I’d like jazz a lot more if it was always this restrained.

And so it was that I found myself looking up who played on “Romance in the Dark” only to find the people who’d written the liner notes complaining the song wasn’t longer. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

One song I didn’t love was “Mandy Is Two” a song about a toddler who is proud because she’s a big girl now (evidence: she knows her alphabet and can tie her own shoes). In the song Mom is sad to see her daughter growing up so quickly. Seriously, Mom – the kid is two, she’s a long way from grown up. The whole thing just felt like the world’s worst conversation to get trapped in at some society dinner party. “Ooh – did you hear that Mandy knows all her ABC’s?” “Ooh – you don’t say! That’s marvelous!”

Barf.

Much better was the classic “God Bless the Child,” a song about child poverty. Hearing Holiday sing:

“Yes, the strong gets more
While the weak ones fade
Empty pockets don't ever make the grade.”

Is a heartbreaking observation, and a hell of a lot more compelling than whether Mandy can tie her shoes.

Holiday does a fine job of walking the line between romance and social commentary. The musical interludes on this album are beautiful and well-placed as well, but the star is Billie Holiday’s voice, which reaches across three-quarters of a century to pull your heart right out of your chest. 75 years from now she’ll still be doing it to a whole new generation of listeners.

Best tracks: Georgia On My Mind, Romance in the Dark, God Bless the Child, Am I Blue?, Solitude, I Cover the Waterfront

CD Odyssey Disc 253: Billie Holiday

On we go, in the search for musical Ithaca. We return again to the very foreign land of jazz.

Disc 253 is...The Quintessential Billie Holiday Vol 4
Artist: Billie Holliday

Year of Release: 1937

What’s Up With The Cover?: It is Billie, belting out a tune. I love her hat - but is it wrong to point out that dress makes her look a little thick around the middle? The pearls are a nice touch though...but since this is A Creative Maelstrom and not a fashion blog, I'll just note she's one foxy lady, and move on.

How I Came To Know It: As I noted in my last Billie Holliday review (back at Disc 165), I was introduced to this music by a woman I used to date. A woman who left a favourable impression on me - and not just with the Billie Holliday. I wish her well, wherever she is these days, and this album had me thinking good thoughts of her, as it often does.

How It Stacks Up: These 'quintessential' albums don't really stack up, since they are all best ofs. I will say, I enjoy this one the most of all three.

Rating: 'best of's don't get ratings. That's how it works, jerkie!

Another of my ill-fated efforts to 'get' jazz. I certainly 'get' Billie Holliday better than most jazz, so this album is a qualified success.

This particular selection of songs has a lot of standards I'm pretty familiar with, including "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and having a few familiar landmarks, makes sailing the treacherous waters of jazz a little bit easier to navigate.

I very much enjoyed "How Could You?" on this listen, which is a woman scorned track. Other than that, a lot of the songs seemed very similar to one another to my untrained ear. That said, they all sounded good.

I had a friend I used to work with who was much older than me named Rean. He died a few years ago of cancer of the esophagus - which by the way should be high on anyone's list of 'things you don't want to die of'. This music had me thinking of him, not because he was a Billie Holliday fan in particular (in fact, he preferred regimental marches).

However, his widow, Shirley loved music of the Billie Holliday era. She only lived a little over a year after Rean died, but I used to visit her during these times. Sometimes she'd spontaneously sing one of these songs during the visit. She had a surprisingly beautiful voice, and I used to subtly encourage this so I'd get to hear her sing.

I think that she'd often pick songs from sixty years ago shows just how enduring these tunes are. In fact, they are still being reimagined by modern jazz artists. A good song simply never gets old.

Take a song like that and give it to a woman as brilliantly talented as Billie Holliday, and I should have really enjoyed this album more than I did. I did like it, and I'll be keeping it as an important part of my collection. However, before I rolled this, I didn't put Billie Holliday into rotation a lot and after tonight I will be similarly disinterested.

But for now - for tonight - Billie has me remembering absent friends, and old lovers. It is music to remember by, and so I'll skip any faults it may have, and just say - thanks for the memories, Billie.

Best tracks: Carelessly, How Could You?, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, They Can't Take That Away From Me, I'll Get By

CD Odyssey Disc 165: Billie Holiday

Well, it was a hard day today, without a lot of good news, but at least it ended with beers with friends and a music review, so I'll focus on the positive.

The beers were good (Back Hand of God Stout), and the company excellent. Now, the review:

Disc 165 is...The Quintessential Billie Holliday, Vol. 5
Artist: Billie Holliday

Year of Release: 1938

What’s Up With The Cover?: It's a head shot of Billie Holliday. She's a fine looking woman, and I give this cover a thumbs up.

How I Came To Know It: I actually learned about Billie Holliday through a woman I used to date many years ago. She was a huge fan, and had Billie on vinyl. I didn't buy any until many years later, but that was the kernel of the idea.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Billie Holliday albums - all from this nine disc set called "The Quintessential Billie Holiday". I have Volumes 4, 5, and 9. I'm not even sure on what basis I chose them. I think I planned to buy them all at some point, but never got that far. Anyway, since they're all 'best ofs' they don't stack up, so that's that.

Rating: Can't really rate a best of - that's the way of things, even with thirties music where getting an original album is pretty hard. I can't go around changing the rules at this point, over 150 discs in.

Another jazz album that I can't get an emotional reaction to - this time the late, great Billie Holliday.

Her talent is undeniable, and I think of all the jazz crooners, she's my favourite. I like the way she phrases a line, playing with her timing ever so slightly but always perfectly in tune.

The music didn't really grab me though, and so my favourite tracks tend to be more based on topic than tune. I enjoyed "He's Funny That Way" a song about a man in a bad relationship, and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" a song about a woman in a bad relationship. And to break the theme, a song called "Now They Call it Swing", a song about how people think they've invented new music called 'swing' (in the thirties) but it is just ragtime re-imagined. I liked the frozen-in-time bit of musical history, when Swing was considered the upstart new kid on the block.

Holliday is a great vocalist, and it did give me a relaxed laid back vibe in the car the last two days, but I wasn't truly feeling it. It is almost like she is a bit detached from her own performance. It could be the very antiquated production, or it could be one of those infamous CDs made in the late eighties, where they were still perfecting the technology, and a lot of old music was tranferred poorly to the new format.

Or - I shudder to think - it could just be the nature of jazz - emotionally detached, and so overly clever, it can even suck the fun out of the brilliant Billie Holliday. Ah, Thelonious Monk, that you should prove to be the exception to the rule, rather than the rule itself.

So Billie Holliday - competent jazz that has stood the test of time...but still jazz.

Best tracks: He's Funny That Way, Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man, Now They Call It Swing