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Billie Holiday

The Complete Commodore Recordings

The Complete Commodore Recordings Tracks
1. Strange Fruit
2. Strange Fruit [#2]
3. Yesterdays
4. Yesterdays [#3]
5. Fine and Mellow
6. I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues
7. I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues [#2]
8. How Am I to Know? [#3]
9. How Am I to Know? [#2] [-1]
10. How Am I to Know? [#2] [-2]
11. How Am I to Know?
12. My Old Flame [#3]
13. My Old Flame [Take 2]
14. My Old Flame [#2]
15. My Old Flame
16. I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)
17. I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You) [#2]
18. I Cover the Waterfront [#3]
19. I Cover the Waterfront [#2]
20. I Cover the Waterfront [#1]
21. I Cover the Waterfront
22. I'll Be Seeing You [#3]
23. I'll Be Seeing You
24. I'll Be Seeing You [#2]
25. I'm Yours [#3]
26. I'm Yours [#2]
27. I'm Yours
28. Embraceable You [#3]
29. Embraceable You
30. Embraceable You [#2]
31. As Time Goes By
32. As Time Goes By [#2]
33. He's Funny That Way
34. He's Funny That Way
35. He's Funny That Way
36. He's Funny That Way
37. He's Funny That Way [Version #3]
38. Lover, Come Back to Me [-1]
39. Lover, Come Back to Me [#3]
40. Billie's Blues [#2]
41. Billie's Blues [#3]
42. Lover, Come Back to Me
43. Billie's Blues
44. On the Sunny Side of the Street
45. Lover, Come Back to Me [#2]
Billie Holiday - The Complete Commodore Recordings
The Complete Commodore Recordings Review
In 1939 Lewis Allan's song "Strange Fruit" was a focal point of Billie Holiday's performances, a grimly poetic evocation of lynching delivered with tremendous dramatic power. It was so pointed a protest, however, that Columbia refused to record it. Milt Gabler arranged to record it for Commodore, his independent jazz label, and when it was paired with the sensual "Fine and Mellow," it became Holiday's first hit record. This two-CD set includes all the takes from the 1939 and 1944 sessions, and they're some of Holiday's finest moments in the recording studio, combining first-rate material and sympathetic support that includes pianist Eddie Heywood, drummer Sid Catlett, and trombonist Vic Dickenson. Holiday's vocal and interpretive skills were seldom as beautifully balanced as they are here. --Stuart Broomer


Users's Reviews
Feel free to add your comments about The Complete Commodore Recordings
If You Like Her You Can't Get Enough...
5
Columbia Billie now this Commodore period...all very heartfelt and blue..I enjoy the alternative takes and for me the additional cost is worth it...I hear vast differences in the takes.
This period was a great one in her life,not to be missed in this very handsome package with a 40 page book.
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-11-28
Strange Fruit/Fine and Mellow
4
If ever a song caused trouble it was "Strange Fruit" Billie had been singing this at Barney Josephens Cafe Society (downtown) for a while before she was able to record it. The record got terrible reviews by the press as it was not a mainstream song and it cost $1.00 (a lot of bread in 1939! However, even though it was not the first song about lynching (Suppertime by Ethel Waters, and a few rare blues dealt with this subject) it was the most visible. "Fine and Mellow" was the big star of the day and was on every jukebox in Harlem in fact Decca tried to steal the song from Billie and had Mamie Smith record it (it failed) The rest of the songs on this track are basic Holiday Night Club fare. These were songs she sang in most clubs and are wonderful to hear again and again.

For New Students of Billie Holiday Listen to Strange Fruit on Commodore and then on Verve. The Commodore is the one that still sends a chill down my spine! For advanced students listen to "I have a right to sing the blues by Billie and then Mildred Bailey. Then you will know without a shadow of a doubt why we still rever Lady when we cant remember Ethel or Mildred what's her name!

Posted by Anonymous, on 2000-12-25
Billie at her most spectacular (?)
5
This was my first Billie Holiday recording, so maybe I'm biased. But after hearing lots and lots of Billie since, I still think that this collection has been the most galvanizing of Billie Holiday listening experiences. Her voice was in absolute perfect pitch here. Her voice sounded a bit deeper in previous recordings (unless that's due to the production), and her voice got more ragged as the years progressed. But here she sings like a cornet; the only person that I've heard that tried to sing like her and even came close was probably Dinah Washington (but in her own way). Billie could sing at a pitch that is absolutely exhilarating. If this is what you want to hear, or if this is making you curious, then get these recordings and you'll immediately know what I mean.

If you don't want to spring for this double set (with many alternate takes), then get the "Commodore Master Takes". It has all the songs, but only the popular released versions of them. This ESSENTIAL Billie Holiday. If you're only going to get one Billie Holiday CD, get this or the "Commodore Master Takes". This is timeless stuff that you'll NEVER want to get rid of.

Posted by Anonymous, on 2001-04-17

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