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Billie Holiday / Jazz

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Posted on October 24, 2009 at 22:10:51
j0i
Audiophile

Posts: 5
Joined: October 23, 2009
I just started listening to Billie Holiday and I love it. What other 1930s/50s jazz artists are out there that I should listen to?

look in to Mildred Bailey's 1930's recordings..., posted on October 28, 2009 at 00:25:53
Bung
Audiophile

Posts: 8948
Location: NYC
Joined: October 20, 2002
Her vocal style is very different from Billie's, but the overall feeling ends up being similar.

The usual suspects, posted on October 25, 2009 at 10:10:32
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 6433
Joined: September 23, 1999
Contributor
  Since:
May 7, 2000
You are about to embark on a voyage of discovery, and I want you to
enjoy every second of it. Here's some suggestions, people who were
Billie's contemporaries for the most part, all of whom are hall of
famers

Female vocalists: Ella Fitgerald, Lee Wiley, Helen Humes, Sarah Vaughn,
Peggy Lee.

Male Vocalists: Nat Cole, Joe Turner, Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing,
Jimmy Witherspoon, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and Fats Waller (one of
the best pianists ever, also).

Insturmentalists: The list is incredibly long, and includes Lester
Young, Johnny Hodges, Benny Goodman, Roy Eldridge (also a great
singer) and Art Tatum.

Happy listening.

Mike

RE: Billie Holiday / Jazz, posted on October 24, 2009 at 22:30:47
caspian@peak.org
Audiophile

Posts: 386
Location: Oregon
Joined: January 12, 2008
"What other 1930s/50s jazz artists are out there that I should listen to?"

I'm tempted to say "all of 'em," but these things should perhaps ripple out like circles from a pebble tossed in a pond. Which of Billie's backing musicians do you find particularly expressive and poignant? Check out their other work.

I dunno if he worked with Billie or not, but if you like the sweet 'n' smooth style, you can't go wrong with Ben Webster. His 1959 "Meets Oscar Peterson" is one of the prettiest AND best recorded albums of the time (or ANY time).

RE: Billie Holiday / Jazz, posted on October 25, 2009 at 00:07:19
j0i
Audiophile

Posts: 5
Joined: October 23, 2009
Thanks for the responses! Um I haven't looked into the name of the back of musicians so i wouldn't know which ones stand out the most to me. Songs like "I cry for you" and "easy to love" really hit me in the good spot so far.
I've also have some of the Ink Spots and I've been loving there smooth sound to.

RE: Billie Holiday / Jazz, posted on October 24, 2009 at 22:29:38
jazz1
Audiophile

Posts: 959
Joined: October 30, 2000
If you just started to listen to Billie Holiday you must get the
Bllie Holiday box set of the Complete Columbia recordings (10cds)
Available from Amazon Germany, see link below, the best 30 $ you would have spend this year.
Billie Holiday was unique and although they was plenty good jazz singers
in the 30's and 40's none had Billie's unique sound, not did they sing with the same passion.
Obviously people like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, are worth exploring too. For Ella any of the songbooks are worth getting.

RE: Billie Holiday / Jazz, posted on November 3, 2009 at 14:23:09
jimdgoulding@yahoo.com
Manufacturer

Posts: 287
Location: Le workshop
Joined: May 24, 2007
One thing about the Lady, she wrote a lot of songs she sings. There is a lot of history in what she wrote. Not just her own, but of a black woman as a portrait artist of her time.

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