Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic


Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic is a 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. 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 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

  1. "Body and Soul" - 3:24
  2. "Strange Fruit" - 3:01
  3. "Trav'lin' Light" - 3:28
  4. "He's Funny That Way" - 2:56

Side two

  1. "The Man I Love" - 3:04
  2. "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" - 2:19
  3. "All of Me" - 1:55
  4. "Billie's Blues" - 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

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

June 3, 1946 (tracks 5–8)

Same as February 12, 1945, personnel.