Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic (MG C-169) is the debut live album by jazz singer Billie Holiday, originally recorded on February 12, 1945, and October 3, 1946, at the Jazz at the Philharmonic concert at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, and at Carnegie Hall on June 3, 1946.Billie Holiday – At Jazz At The Philharmonic , Discogs.com, accessed Feb 13, 2016 The recording was released in 1954 by Clef Records.
Content Jazz at the Philharmonic, or JATP, was the title of a series of jazz concerts, tours and recordings produced by Norman Granz from 1944 through 1983. Billie Holiday would go on to perform at Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts numerous times, even joining the troupe in 1954.Billie Holiday Songs: 1954 sessions billieholidaysongs.com, accessed Jan 13, 2025
Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic was originally released as a 10-inch LP in 1954, her fourth LP for Norman Granz's Clef label. After the 10-inch form was discontinued, the 8 tracks would be rereleased as parts of various compilations, including the 10-CD box set The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945–1959.
Critical reception
Jack Tracy, editor of DownBeat, praised the album in a contemporary review:
Track listing Side one "Body and Soul" (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green) - 3:24 "Strange Fruit" (Abel Meeropol as Lewis Allan) - 3:01 "Trav'lin' Light" (Trummy Young, Jimmy Mundy, Johnny Mercer) - 3:28 "He's Funny That Way" (Richard Whiting, Neil Moret) - 2:56
Side two "The Man I Love" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 3:04 "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" (Andy Razaf, Don Redman) - 2:19 "All of Me" (Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons) - 1:55 "Billie's Blues" (Billie Holiday) - 3:39
Personnel February 12, 1945 (tracks 1–2) Billie Holiday, vocals Lester Young, tenor sax Illinois Jacquet, tenor sax George Auld, alto sax Buck Clayton, trumpet Ken Kersey, piano Tiny Grimes, guitar JC Heard, drums Al McKibbon, bass Billie Holiday Songs sessionography, 1945, accessed Feb 13, 2016
October 7, 1946 (tracks 3–4) Billie Holiday, vocals Illinois Jacquet, tenor sax Trummy Young, trombone Howard McGhee, trumpet Ken Kersey, piano Barney Kessel, guitar Jack Mills, drums Charlie Drayton, bass Billie Holiday Songs sessionography, 1946, accessed Feb 13, 2016
June 3, 1946 (tracks 5–8) Same as February 12, 1945, personnel.
References