Lady Sings The Blues (Limited Yellow Vinyl)
Taken from a pair of sessions taped during 1955-1956, Lady Sings the Blues finds Holiday in top form and backed by the sympathetic likes of tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette, trumpeters Charlie Shavers and Harry Edison, pianist Wynton Kelly, and guitarists Kenny Burrell and Barney Kessel.
And while these autumnal sides bear some of the frayed vocal moments often heard on Holiday's '50s Verve sides, the majority here still ranks with her best material. This is especially true of the cuts from the June 1956 date, which produced unparalleled versions of "No Good Man," "Some Other Spring," and "Lady Sings the Blues."
See why many fans prefer the "worn out" Holiday heard here to the more chipper singer featured on those classic Columbia records from the '30s.
Stephen Cook - Allmusic (4 Stars).
SIDE A:
1 TRAV’LIN’ LIGHT
2 I MUST HAVE THAT MAN!
3 SOME OTHER SPRING
4 LADY SINGS THE BLUES
5 STRANGE FRUIT
6 GOD BLESS THE CHILD
SIDE B:
1 GOOD MORNING, HEARTACHE
2 NO GOOD MAN
3 LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME
4 TOO MARVELOUS FOR WORDS
5 WILLOW WEEP FOR ME
6 I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU
7 P.S. I LOVE YOU (*)
(*) BONUS TRACK: From the same sessions. Not on the original LP.