• LIMITED EDITION CLASSIC LPS • 180 GRAM VINYL – AUDIOPHILE PRESSING • INCLUDES 3 BONUS TRACKS

The recordings included on the classic album Lady Sings the Blues come from two different studio dates: a complete session recorded in 1956, and four tunes from a 1954 date. Five additional tracks were also recorded at the latter session. Three of them later surfaced on compilation LPs, and have been added here following the 12 tracks from the original album. (The other two tunes –which, according to discographies, consist of new versions of Billie’s classics “I Cried For You” and “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” – were never issued and are now considered lost.) With the addition of these three bonus tracks, this release contains all known surviving tracks from the second session. The emphasis on both sessions is placed on Billie’s singing. Although important musicians are present on both dates (Charlie Shavers, Tony Scott, Paul Quinichette andWynton Kelly, on the 1956 session, and Harry “Sweets” Edison, Willie Smith and Barney Kessel, on the 1954 date), little room is left for any instrumental improvisation. Billie’s voice is clearly the showcased instrument here, which as Miles Davis stated, sounded “like a horn, anyway”.

PERSONNEL: BILLIE HOLIDAY, vocals on all tracks, plus: ON TRACKS A1-A6 & B1-B2: Charlie Shavers (tp), Tony Scott (cl, arr), Paul Quinichette (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Kenny Burrell (g), Aaron Bell (b), Lennie McBrowne (d). New York, June 6-7, 1956. ON TRACKS A7 & B3-B8: Harry “Sweets” Edison (tp), Willie Smith (as), Bobby Tucker (p), Barney Kessel (g), Red Callender (b), Chico Hamilton (d). “I Thought About You” is a Billie Holiday-Bobby Tucker duet. Los Angeles, September 3, 1954. TRACKS: SIDE A: 01 TRAV’LIN’ LIGHT 02 I MUST HAVE THAT MAN! 03 SOME OTHER SPRING 04 LADY SINGS THE BLUES 05 STRANGE FRUIT 06 GOD BLESS THE CHILD 07 P.S. I LOVE YOU (*) SIDE B: 01 GOOD MORNING, HEARTACHE 02 NO GOOD MAN 03 LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME 04 TOO MARVELOUS FOR WORDS 05 WILLOW WEEP FOR ME 06 I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU 07 SOFTLY (*) 08 STORMY BLUES (*)