Billie Holiday - The Complete Commodore Masters - 180g

The Complete Commodore Masters

Wax Time 772105 - Import on 180g vinyl

In 1939 when Billie Holiday's label refused to record the highly controversial 'Strange Fruit', she did not give up, but searched desperately for a label that was not afraid to take a risk. Thankfully Milt Gabler at Commodore Records, a fledgling independent jazz label, understood the importance of this song being recorded and released to the public and soon arranged for Holiday to record a session with him. The 'Strange Fruit session' for Commodore, was one of those historic moments and part of Billie Holiday's legend hinges on the tremendous courage it took for her go ahead and record this song, knowing that it might well mean the end of her career. Three other songs, found here, were also recorded at that session: 'Yesterdays', 'Fine And Mellow' and 'I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues', while due to contractual issues, the remaining Commodore sides were not recorded until five years later in 1944.

     Includes the indispensable tracks; 

Strange Fruit
Yesterdays
Fine and Mellow
I Got a Right to Sing the Blues
How Am I To Know
My Old Flame
I'll Get By

I Cover the Waterfront

I'll Be Seeing You
I'm Yours 

Embraceable You
As Time Goes By
Billie's Blues (I Love My Man) 

On the Sunny Side of the Street