Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic

Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic
Live album by Billie Holiday
Released	1954
Recorded	February 12, 1945 & June 3, October 7, 1946
Genre	Vocal jazz
Label	Clef Records (Verve Records)
Producer	Norman Granz
Billie Holiday chronology
Billie Holiday (1954) Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic (1954) Music for Torching (1955)

Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic (MG C-169) 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.

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.

The liner notes on the original LP quote a review from Down Beat, praising the album:

"These were recorded at a JATP concert in LA in 1946, and never again will Billie sound this wonderful. The years that have passed since then have taken their toll on the great stylist, but this all happened on a night when she had everything, and you don't find this LP to be one of the most emotional half-hours you've ever spent, there's something wrong. (...) Certainly one of the outstanding records in years."

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Down Beat (1954 Review)

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.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Body and Soul" (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green) - 3:24
2. "Strange Fruit" (Abel Meeropol as Lewis Allan) - 3:01
3. "Trav'lin' Light" (Trummy Young, Jimmy Mundy, Johnny Mercer) - 3:28
4. "He's Funny That Way" (Richard Whiting, Neil Moret) - 2:56

Side two

1. "The Man I Love" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 3:04
2. "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" (Andy Razaf, Don Redman) - 2:19
3. "All of Me" (Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons) - 1:55
4. "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

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.