Barney Kessel Official Digital Download

It is undeniable that Billie Holiday's singing changed in her later years. Her voice darkened an shifted to a lower range. Her economy of means distilled her sound to its expressive essence – a kind of heightened speech. The classic LP Songs For Distingué Lovers, has also deepened and become burnished with time. Maybe it's that still-arresting word distingué; maybe it's that iconic, tinted image of Lady Day on the cover. This legendary recording features the singer's best studio work of the Fifties.

Most of the songs on this session were originally released on 10-inch vinyl in 1952 under the title Billie Holiday Sings; four additional tunes were added to this 1956 LP version, now renamed Solitude. Holiday is backed by some impressive musicians including Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on double bass, Barney Kessel on guitar and drummer Alvin Stoller on these standards, among them Blue Moon and I Only Have Eyes For You.