BODY AND SOUL - Billie Holiday

YEAR: 1957

LABEL: Verve

TRACK LISTING: Body and Soul, They Can't Take That Away From Me, Darn That Dream, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, Comes Love, Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You?, Embraceable You, Moonlight in Vermont

BONUS TRACKS: Comes Love (False Start Take 2), Comes Love (False Start Take 3), Comes Love (Alternate Take 1)

IMPRESSIONS: This is another of those "late night" albums. Lady Day is nearing the end of her career and her life and may not be in perfect voice but, as the itunes album review quite rightly puts it: ". . .Billie Holiday with some of the platinum chipped off the pipes is still way better than bunch of finger-snappin' wannabees any day." Yer damn skippy! The intimate setting of Holiday and her band gently swinging lends the quality of a live performance in a midnight club; this is enhanced by the inclusion of studio ambiance included on the cd reissue. It seems like, at the end of her career, Holiday has once more gone back to being "the singer with the band" as the musicians are given equal time with sometimes quite extended musical performances after Lady Day sings the first verse and chorus. There may be better Billie Holiday albums vocally but this one provides a wonderful atmosphere and depth of emotion which is just as priceless

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Body and Soul, They Can't Take That Away From Me, Darn That Dream, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, Comes Love, Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You?, Embraceable You, Moonlight in Vermont

FACT SHEET: BODY AND SOUL is Billie Holiday's eighth album (if it's possible to count album releases from this era). The album was produced by Norman Granz and features an excellent band made up of Ben Webster (tenor sax), Barney Kessel (guitar), Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Jimmy Rowles (piano), Red Mitchell (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums).