BILLIE HOLIDAY – The Complete Billie Holiday On Verve 1945-1959 (1992) 10CD BOX-SET | APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a rather incredible collection: ten CDs enclosed in a tight black box that includes every one of the recordings Verve owns of Billie Holiday, not only the many studio recordings of 1952-57 (which feature Lady Day joined by such jazz all-stars as trumpeters Charlie Shavers and Harry "Sweets" Edison, altoist Benny Carter, and the tenors of Flip Phillips, Paul Quinichette and Ben Webster). Also included are prime performances at Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts in 1945-1947, an enjoyable European gig from 1954, her "comeback" Carnegie Hall concert of 1956, Holiday's rather sad final studio album from 1959, and even lengthy tapes from two informal rehearsals. It's a perfect purchase for the true Billie Holiday fanatic. Scott Yanow

Disc 1:

Jazz at the Philharmonic Concerts 1945-1947, 

1952 Los Angeles Studio Session

Disc 2:

1952 Los Angeles & New York Studio Sessions, 

1954 Jazz Club USA Concert - Germany

Disc 3:

1954 Jazz Club USA Concert (conclusion), 

1954 Los Angeles & New York Studio Sessions, 

1955 New York Studio Session

Disc 4:

1955 Rehearsal at Artie Shapiro's Home

Disc 5:

1955 Los Angeles Studio Sessions

Disc 6:

1955 Los Angeles Studio Session (Conclusion),

1956 Rehearsal at the Duftys' Home

Disc 7:

1956 New York & Los Angeles Studio Sessions

Disc 8:

1956 Carnegie Hall Concert, 1957 Los Angeles Studio Sessions

Disc 9:

1957 Los Angeles Studio Sessions

Disc 10:

1957 Newport Jazz Festival, 1958 Seven Ages of Jazz Concert, 

1959 New York Studio Sessions with Ray Ellis

Notes: Includes a 220-page book with liner notes, photographs, reproductions 

of Billie Holiday's Verve album covers, and extensive interviews with 

Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Rowles, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Barney Kessel. 

Of 10 CDs contained in the set, 8 are of studio and concert 

recordings, including her Carnegie Hall debut concert, Jazz At The 

Philharmonic recordings, Lady Day's last recording session, and 2 

unissued alternate takes. The other 2 CDs contain rehearsal sessions.

Personnel includes: 

Billie Holiday (vocals)

Willie Smith, Benny Carter (alto saxophone)

Illinois Jacquet, Wardell Gray, Charlie Ventura, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Flip Phillips (tenor saxophone)

Howard McGee, Buck Clayton, Charlie Shavers, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Roy Eldridge (trumpet) 

Trummy Young (trombone)

Red Norvo (vibraphone)

Milt Raskin, Ken Kersey, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Clark, Billy Taylor, Jimmy Rowles, Wynton Kelly, Tony Scott, Mal Waldron (piano)

Freddie Green (guitar) 

Tiny Grimes, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis (electric guitar) 

Charles Mingus, Curly Russell, Al McKibbon, Ray Brown, Red Mitchell, Milt Hinton, Joe Benjamin (bass) 

David Coleman, J.C. Heard, Alvin Stoller, Ed Shaughnessy, Cozy Cole, Jo Jones (drums).

Producers include:

Norman Granz, Ray Ellis, Leonard Feather, Leroy Lovett, Tony Scott.

Compilation producer: Phil Schaap.

Includes liner notes by Buck Clayton, Phil Schaap, Bob Porter, and Joel E. Siegel.

THE COMPLETE BILLIE HOLIDAY ON VERVE, 1945-1959 won the 1994 Grammy Award for "Recording Package," "Album Notes" and "Historical Album.").