Category Archives: Sem categoria

Duke Ellington

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Duke Ellington   (1899-1974)  Portrait of Duke Ellington

Ellington was a musician in the broad sense of the word. Through his orchestra passed some of the biggest names in jazz. He was also a composer, despite the fact they were not actually composed as songs, but as instrumental pieces. A legend.

Ellington was the closest contact Billie had with the greatest composers. To focus in the recorded tracks, she made a short film with his band, “Symphony in Black” in 1935 (s. 3a). Then, in 1945, she had a radio broadcast with Duke’s Orchestra in the California Philarmonic Auditorium during the Esquire Magazine Second Annual Jazz Concert. In 1952 she took part in the Duke’s 25th Anniversary Concert in Carnegie Hall.

  • (LR 1)                 Saddest Tale this song, by Ellington, has the merit to be one of the first recorded by Billie, in the early thirties.
  • (MT 226) ÅÅ        Solitude
  • (MT 256) ÅÅ1/2   Prelude To A Kiss
  • (MT 281) ÅÅÅ1/2 Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me (1943) lyrics by Bob Russell: Do nothin’ till you hear from me / Pay no attention to what’s said, / Why people tear the seams of anyone’s dream / Is over my head. Wow, I still can hear Ben Webster’s sax behind me.
  • (MT 287) ÅÅÅÅ   Sophisticated Lady (1933) originally instrumental, the lyrics are by Mitchell Parish: Diamonds shining, dancing, dining with some man in a restaurant / Is that all you really want? / No, sophisticated lady, / I know, you miss the love you lost long ago / And when nobody is nigh, you cry. It sounds quite Billie, right? One of my favorites.

Richard Rodgers

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Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) richard_Rodgers

Rodgers was one of the most prolific American composers but his partnership with Billie did not render that many tracks. All of the songs listed below have lyrics by Lorenz Hart.

(MT 220) Å Blue Moon
(MT 292) ÅÅÅ1/2 I Didn’t Know What Time It Was (1939) wow, this was Billie sole recording of this song, in LA, 1957. An unforgettable performance that deserved an extra half-star. Listen: … /Grand to be alive, to be young, to be mad, to be yours alone! /…
(MT 312) It’s Easy To Remember
(MT 315) Glad To Be Unhappy
(MT 326) You Took Advantage Of Me

Vernon Duke

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Vernon Duke  (1903-1969) vernon duke

Three wonderful songs by Duke, born in Russia as Vladimir Dukelsky.

  •  (MT 93)   Å          I Can’t Get Started (1936) not only mine, but one of the jazz groups favorites, lyrics by Ira Gershwin: Iv’e been around the world in a plane/ Settled revolutions in Spain / The North Pole I have charted / But can’t get started with you.
  • (MT 233) ÅÅÅ     Autumn In New York (1934) its particularity is to have both words and music by Duke.
  • (MT 288) ÅÅÅ     April in Paris

Jerome Kern

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Jerome Kern  (1885-1945) jerome-kern  Oscar Hammerstein II

Kern was one of the greatest, having influence in a generation of composers.

  • (MT 32)                The Way You Look Tonight
  • (MT 43)   ÅÅ        Why Was I Born
  • (MT 74)   ÅÅ        Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man (1927) from the famous musical “Show Boat”, has lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II: Tell me he’s lazy/ Tell me he’s slow/ Tell me I’m crazy, maybe, I know/ Can’t help lovin’ that man of mine.
  • (MT 118)               Yesterdays (1933) from the musical “Roberta”, it has very elaborated lyrics by Otto Harbach: Yesterdays, yesterdays / Days I knew as happy, sweet sequestered days… Billie said it was one of her favorite tunes and recorded it three times, but still owe us a memorable performance.
  • (MT 268) ÅÅ        A Fine Romance (1936) from the film “Swing Time” featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, lyrics by Dorothy Fields. A pleasant song, with plenty of movement and swing.

Harold Arlen

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Harold Arlen (1905-1986)        

Johnny Mercer  

How to select any of these wonderful songs? All of them got high standards. I decided to included the two that have lyrics by Johnny Mercer. I also want to point out that the unforgettable “Over the Rainbow” from the film The Wizard of Oz (1939) with Judy Garland is another masterpiece from Arlen (lyrics from Harburg).

  • (MT 236) ÅÅÅ      Stormy Weather
  • (MT 265) ÅÅÅ1/2 Come Rain Or Come Shine (1946) I’m gonna love you like nobody’s loved you, / Come rain or come shine. / High as a mountain and deep as a river, / Come rain or come shine. And so Mercer goes, and Billie follows with passion.
  • (MT 266) ÅÅÅ      I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
  • (MT 283) ÅÅÅ1/2 Ill Wind
  • (MT 302) ÅÅÅÅ   One For My Baby (1943) one of my favorite songs, the honor goes to the lyrics, look how it starts: It’s quarter to three, there’s no one in the place/ Except you and me/ … / We’re drinking my friend, to the end/ Of a brief episode/ Make it one for my baby/ And one more for the road. Billie wouldn’t do any better.

Irving Berlin

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Irving Berlin  (1888-1989)  

Berlin , unlike Cole Porter, seems to be a perfect match for Billie. Almost all the songs she recorded got high evaluation, as you can see below. He is probably the most known name in the American popular music. Berlin is also known to write complete songs, music and words. Berlin is also one of the most prolific composers, having written almost 900 songs; however, the three I selected are from the early thirties.

  • (MT 41)                 He Ain’t Got Rhythm
  • (MT 42)   ÅÅ        This Year Kisses
  • (MT 232) Å1/2      Remember
  • (MT 240) ÅÅ        How Deep Is The Ocean  (1932) listen to Billie’s lament: And if I ever lost you/ How much would I cry?/  How deep is the ocean? / How high is the sky?
  • (MT 251) ÅÅ        I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
  • (MT 253) ÅÅ        Always
  • (MT 272) ÅÅÅ      Isn’t This A Lovely Day?
  • (MT 282) ÅÅÅ      Cheek To Cheek (1935) the song first appeared in the film “Top Hat”. A wonderful happy song: Heaven, I’m in Heaven/ And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak/ And I seem to find the happiness I seek/ When we’re out together dancing, cheek to cheek.
  • (MT 300) ÅÅÅ      Say It Isn’t So (1932) Billie for sure meant that when she sung this wonderful song: Everywhere I go, everyone I know, whispers that you’re growing tired of me/ Say it isn’t so.

Cole Porter

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Cole Porter  (1891-1964) 

Cole Porter is probably my favorite composer. However, there seems to be no good match between Porter and Billie – a clear example is Night and Day. Probably, two different styles. Porter is famous by his lyrics, worked to perfection – a characteristic of those composers that made both music and lyrics.

  • (MT 125)               Night And Day (1932) this song is probably one of the best ever written, look at the lyrics in the first verse: Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom/ When the jungle shadows fall/ Like the tick tick tock of the stately clock/ As it stands against the wall/ Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops/ When the summer shower is through/ So a voice within me keeps repeating you… you… you… Night and day, you are the one/From the musical “Gay Divorce” in the same year.
  • (MT 143) Å           Let’s Do It 
  • (MT 183) ÅÅÅ     What Is This Thing Called Love?
  • (MT 223) ÅÅÅ     Easy To Love (1936) this is a wonderful love song, listen: You’d be so easy to love/ So easy to idolize/… The song is from the film “Born To Dance” where there was also another gem, I’ve got you under my skin, that Billie never recorded.
  • (MT 228) ÅÅ        Love For Sale
  • (MT 270) Å           I Get A Kick Out Of You
  • (MT 293) ÅÅÅ     Just One Of Those Things (1935) From the musical “Jubilee”. What an elaborate lyrics in the final verse: So good-bye, dear, and amen/ Here’s hoping we meet now and then/ It was great fun/ But it was just one of those things.
  • (MT 329) Å           All Of You

George Gershwin

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George Gershwin    (1898-1937)  

Gershwin was the composer with the largest number of tunes sung by Billie Holiday in this collection. All the commented songs below have their lyrics by his brother Ira Gershwin. Reading these lyrics is like an online university education in song craftsmanship.

  • (MT 24)                 Summertime
  • (MT 71)   Å           Nice Work If You Can Get It 
  • (MT 72)   Å          Things Are Looking Up
  • (MT 126) Å           The Man I Love (1924) a wonderful love song: Maybe I shall meet him Sunday / Maybe Monday, maybe not / Still I’m sure to meet him one day / Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day. From the famous play  “Lady Be Good” is one of the most popular songs ever. Billie do not honor the song, though, this being her sole recorded track.
  • (MT 198) Å           Porgy
  • (MT 291) ÅÅÅ      A Foggy Day  (1937) And suddenly, I saw you standing right there / And in foggy London town, the sun was shining everywhere. Beautiful.
  • (MT 297) ÅÅÅ      But Not For Me
  • (MT 301) ÅÅÅ      Our Love Is Here To Stay
  • (MT 303) ÅÅÅ1/2 They Can’t Take That Away From Me
  • (MT 304) ÅÅÅ1/2 Embraceable You (1930) listen: Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you! Embrace me, you irreplaceable you! From the play “Girl Crazy” and sung by Gene Kelly in the film “An American in Paris ” (1951). A jewel, one of the best songs ever written; also a memorable tune by Billie.
  • (MT 305) ÅÅÅ       Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off
Ira Gershwin