Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia

New Standards | Mar 30, 2015

After she was discovered by talent agent John Hammond in Harlem, Billie Holiday cut her first commercial record at the young age of 18 with band leader Benny Goodman. They recorded two songs in November and December of 1933, “Riffin’ the Scotch” and “Your Mother’s Son-In-Law.”

This is where the story begins on Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday On Columbia (1933-1944), a box set that contains 230 Holiday tracks. The set spans 11 years of her career, through recording contracts with Columbia and its subsidiaries, like Brunswick, Vocalion, Okeh, and Harmony. The recordings include Holiday’s own band as well as songs recorded with Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, Benny Carter, Count Basie, Eddie Heywood, and one special track with Duke Ellington.

The Jonathan Channel is celebrating Billie Holiday’s 100th birthday throughout April with “A Centennial Holiday: 100 Years of Lady Day." This week we look at her early life and career with Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday On Columbia (1933-1944). Hear the songs that made her a star and the stories that made her a legend. Experience the magic and mystery of Billie Holiday this month on The Jonathan Channel.

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