(A) STUDIO SESSIONS
Session #54 New York 22/January/1946 Bill Stegmeyer and his Orchestra (CD: Complete Decca vol.1, tk 11, 13 & 15)
Gordon ‘Chris’ Griffin, Joe Guy (tp) Bill Stegmeyer (as) Hank Ross, Bernie Kaufman, Armand Camgros (ts) Joe Springer (p) Tiny Grimes (g) John Simmons (b) Sidney Catlett (d) Billie Holiday (v) + 4 strings
The two first tracks were written for Billie by Irene Higginbotham.
(MT 184) Good Morning Heartache **
The image below is from the original 78rpm disk. Click here to listen.
(MT 185) No Good Man *
(MT 185a) No Good Man (alternate take)
The image below is from the original 78rpm disk. Click here to listen.
(MT 186) Big Stuff * this track complete the trio of AT versions (see MT #179, MT #181) with similar arrangements and different bands. Among the three, I selected this one to get an star (matrix unnumbered). Billie’s voice is clear and the arrangement lighter. Only the 4th take (#187) was considered to be published. All three “unissued versions” were published for the first time in 1975 in the MCA Coral LP “Big Stuff” 6.22125AK. See vinyl discography.
Session #55 New York 13/March/1946 Billie Holiday and her Orchestra (CD: Complete Decca vol.1, tk 16)
Joe Guy (tp) Joe Springer (p) Tiny Grimes (g) Billy Taylor (b) Kelly Martin (d) Billie Holiday (v)
(MT 187) Big Stuff *** (Decca 23463, 07/10/46) this fourth rendition of this song is clearly superior and Decca was right to choose it as MT-master take (matrix W73440A). I don’t know what made Billie abandon the strings, but now we have a more jazzy arrangement. Joe Guy opens and closes the track in a particular way and Grimes does a short bridge. The song is by Leonard Bernstein. The other three versions are #MT 179, 181 & 186 (originally ATs, as I mentioned before).
The image below is from the original 78rpm disk. Click here to listen.
Session #56 New York 09/April/1946 Billy Kyle and his Trio (CD: Complete Decca vol.1, tk 18 & 20)
Joe Guy (tp) Billy Kyle (p) Jimmy Shirley (g) Thomas Barney (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Billie Holiday (v)
Fortunately, in this session the strings are absent.
(MT 188) Baby, I Don’t Cry Over You ** what a delight this jazziest band. In a swung tempo the bridges are back with solos by Kyle and Shirley.
(MT 188a) Baby, I Don’t Cry Over You (alternate take)
The image below is from the original 78rpm disk. Click here to listen.
(MT 189) I’ll Look Around ** a nice ballad with obbligati by Joe Guy and Shirley’s guitar.
(MT 189a) I’ll Look Around (alternate take)
The image below is from the original 78rpm disk. Click here to listen.
Session #57 New York 27/December/1946 John Simmons and his Orchestra (CD: Complete Decca vol.1, tk 21 & 24)
Rostelle Reese (tp) Lem Davis (as) Bob Dorsey (ts) Bobby Tucker (p) John Simmons (b) Denzil Best (d) Billie Holiday (v)
The arrangement abuses of the brass section, big-band style.
(MT 190) The Blues Are Brewin’ * this is an studio version of this song, also included in the New Orleans film soundtrack.
The image below is from the original 78rpm disk. Click here to listen.
(MT 191) Guilty ** (image and sound NA)
(MT 191a) Guilty (alternate take)
(B) LIVE SESSIONS
Live session #17 [live recording] New York 27/May/1946 Jazz At The Philharmonic (CD: Perfect Complete Collection vol.1 or The Complete BH on Verve vol.1)
Buck Clayton (tp) ?(tb) Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet and Lester Young (ts) Ken Kersey (p) JohnCollins or Tiny Grimes (g) Curley Russell (?) (b) J.C. Heard (d) Billie Holiday (v)
Jazz at the Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall (see note on session #15)
(LR 27) I Cried For You
(LR 28) Fine And Mellow *
(LR 29) He’s Funny That Way
Original LP Phoenix Jazz Records LP-8 In Concert Coleman Hawkins (US ca.1975). Click here to listen.
Carnegie Hall is a concert house in New York, located at Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th Street. Built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1890, is one of the most famous theaters for classical and popular music in the United States.
Live session #18 [live recording] New York 3/June/1946 Jazz At The Philharmonic (CD: Perfect Complete Collection vol.2 or The Complete BH on Verve vol.1)
Joe Guy (tp) Georgie Auld (as) Illinois Jaquet and Lester Young (ts) Ken Kersey (p) Tiny Grimes (?)(el.g) Al McKibbon (b) J.C. Heard (d) Billie Holiday (v)
Jazz at the Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall
(LR 30) The Man I love *1/2
(LR 31) Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You *
(LR 32) All Of Me **
(LR 33) Billie’s Blues
Image from the original 10″ LP Clef MGC 169 B Jazz At The Philharmonic (US 1956). Click here to listen.
Live Session #19 [film] Hollywood, 11/September/1946 Louis Armstrong & His Hot Six (CD: Perfect Complete Collection vol.1 – see note below)
Hal Roach Studios, Culver City, film New Orleans
There are different band arrangements.
Only Charlie Beal (p)
(LR 34) Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans? * the slow tempo backed only by the piano is very pleasant.
Louis Armstrong (tp) Edward “Kid” Ory (tb) Barney Bigard (cl) Charlie Beal (p) Bud Scott (g) George “Red” Callender (b) “Zutty” Singleton (d) Billie Holiday (v) & Choir
(LR 36) Farewell To Storyville
Original LP Giants of Jazz GOJ-1025-side A New Orleans Soundtrack (US 1983). Click here to listen.
Louis Armstrong (tp) Edward “Kid” Ory (tb) Barney Bigard (cl) Charlie Beal (p) Bud Scott (g) George “Red” Callender (b) “Zutty” Singleton (d) Billie Holiday (v) & Choir
(LR 35) Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans? * tracks were sung only by Billie. Next year, however, she will make a duet with Louis Armstrong in the Carnegie Hall concert (see LR #46). Many fans get confused with those two similar sessions.
Louis Armstrong, Robert Butler, Louis Gray, Fats Ford, Ed Mullins(tp) “Big Chief” Russell Moore, Waddet Williams, Nat Allen, James Whitney(tb) Don Hill, Amos Gordon(as) Joe Garland, John Sparrow(ts) Ernst Thompson(bs) Earl Mason(p) Elmer Warner(g) Arvell Shaw(b) Edmund McConney(d) Billie Holiday (v)
(LR 37) The Blues Are Brewin’
Original LP Giants of Jazz GOJ-1025-side B New Orleans Soundtrack (US 1983). Click here to listen.
Note: These tracks can be found in the CD New Orleans Soundtrack and also in the box Perfect Complete Collection vol.1 The tracks 35 & 37 are also available in video in the box The Ultimate Collection, see discography.
New Orleans Movie Picture
New Orleans “Do you know what it means to Miss New Orleans?”
New Orleans “Farewell To Storyville”
New Orleans “The Blues Are Brewin'”
Billie, Louis Armstrong, Barney Bigard and Woody Herman orchestra would take part in the set. The film opened in early 1947.
Live session #20 [live recording] Los Angeles 7/October/1946 Jazz At The Philharmonic (CD: Perfect Complete Collection vol.2 or The Complete BH on Verve vol.1)
Howard McGhee(?) (tp) Trummy Young (tb) Illinois Jacquet(?) (ts) Ken Kersey(?) (p) Charly Drayton (b) Jack Mills (d) Billie Holiday (v)
Shrine Auditorium. Two band arrangements.
Only (tb), (p), (b)
(LR 38) Trav’lin’ Light
Image from the original 10″ LP Clef MGC 169 A Jazz At The Philharmonic (US1956). Click here to listen
Full Band
(LR 39) He’s Funny That Way *
Image from the original 7″ EP Clef EPC 298B Jazz At The Philharmonic (US 1956). Sound not available.
The Shrine Auditorium was founded in 1906 and built by the membership of the Al Malaikah Temple (“City of Angels” in Arabic).
The Temple is governed by an elected Divan, composed of the Potentate, Chief and Assistant Rabbans, High Priest and Prophet, Oriental Guide, Treasurer and Recorder.
© www.billieholidaysongs.com February 2017
AWESOME! Thank you for sharing this with the world – the greatest jazz singer
Many thks – very kind of you