Billie Holiday
(born Eleanora Fagan, April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959)
Lady Day, the most beloved and perhaps the greatest of jazz singers, drew her sad and sensual voice out of a life of pain. Born out of wedlock, little Eleanora had a troubled childhood that involved rape and prostitution. She began singing in clubs with saxophonist Kenneth Hollan in 1929. John Hammond discovered Holiday singing in a Harlem jazz club in and arranged for her first recording session in 1933. She recorded with Benny Goodman and then Teddy Wilson and was an immediate success. Though her voice had a limited range, her singing style was a huge influence on jazz. She would strip down songs to their most immediate emotions and manipulate the notes like jazz musicians. Her life ended early after long struggles with drugs, alcohol, and the men in her life. Her music lives on.
This little gem was recorded in 1936 with Teddy Willson and His Orchestra.
Life begins when you're in love
You have the whole world before you
When you've found the one
The only one to love and adore you
And when you learn the sigh of it
The long of it, the cry of it
Life begins when Cupid wins
And you're in love
She made her recording debut with 'Riffin' the Scotch' was her first hit with Benny Goodman in 1934 at the age of eighteen. It made it to number six on the pop charts.
I jumped out of the tryin pan
And right into the fire
When I lost me a cheatin man
And got a no-count liar
Swapped the old one for a new one
Now the new ones breakin my heart
I jumped out of the tryin pan
And right into the fire
Lord, right into the fire
No comments:
Post a Comment