Billie Holiday – Body And Soul (Mono)

Four January dates with Billie Holiday

Los Angeles, January 1957: Billie Holiday records at Capitol Tower with a small group of experienced musicians. Norman Granz draws several albums from the wider sequence of sessions. The eight selections on Body And Soul come from January 3, 4, 7 and 9. This is not the document of one self-contained evening, but a programme assembled from several meetings of the same musical circle.

Harry “Sweets” Edison and Ben Webster provide the horn voices, with Jimmy Rowles, Barney Kessel and Red Mitchell at the centre of the rhythm section. Those names invite attention to the relationship between singer and accompanists. A familiar melody can become a reason to notice something smaller: an entrance, a pause or an instrumental response.

Familiar material, individual choices

Three Gershwin songs run through the programme: “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”, “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” and “Embraceable You”. Alongside them are “Darn That Dream”, “Comes Love” and the title track. The interest lies less in the novelty of the material than in the choices an interpreter makes within it.

With Holiday, following the shape of a line can be more rewarding than waiting for an obvious dramatic moment. Where does a phrase begin, and where is it allowed to settle? Webster’s tenor saxophone and Edison’s trumpet offer further points of reference. Knowing the standards already can deepen the experience: remembered versions make it easier to notice small differences in timing and emphasis.

Two drummers, with specific assignments

Alvin Stoller and Larry Bunker divide the eight selections. Stoller plays on “Body And Soul”, “Darn That Dream”, “Comes Love” and “Moonlight In Vermont”. Bunker appears on the remaining four tracks, all recorded on January 9. The other six musicians remain the same in the documented personnel. Our list retains this distinction rather than assigning both drummers to every song.

Red Mitchell also deserves explicit recognition. The session discography places him on the recordings included on this LP, although some condensed credit lists omit his name. Such details help restore the people behind the music to view. They are part of getting to know a cherished album beyond the name printed largest on its cover.

The mono Acoustic Sounds Series edition

This is the 2024 Verve Acoustic Sounds Series release: one 180-gram LP at 33⅓ RPM in mono. Ryan K. Smith mastered it at Sterling Sound, Quality Record Pressings handled the pressing, and Stoughton supplied the tip-on gatefold. The label identifies the source as the original analogue tapes without specifying the precise tape generation.

The programme contains the eight original selections, with no later bonus takes. It should be distinguished from the separate Analogue Productions double-LP edition at 45 RPM. Mono belongs to the identity of this recording. The invitation is straightforward: play both sides, return to the familiar songs, and give the collaboration between Holiday and her accompanists the attention it deserves.

You order from Michael 45 in Germany. We arrange the US import and dispatch from Hilden.

More by Billie Holiday: Songs For Distingue Lovers · All Or Nothing At All

Series: Verve – all 34 records: voices, organ and bossa nova

Musicians

Participants and documented credit status. Track references correspond to the tracklist.

• Billie HolidayvocalsParticipation: Album personnel
• Harry „Sweets“ EdisontrumpetParticipation: Album personnel
• Ben Webstertenor saxophoneParticipation: Album personnel
• Jimmy RowlespianoParticipation: Album personnel
• Barney KesselguitarParticipation: Album personnel
• Red MitchellbassParticipation: Album personnel
• Alvin StollerdrumsParticipation: A1, A3, B1, B4
• Larry BunkerdrumsParticipation: A2, A4, B2, B3

Production/supervision: Norman Granz. Alvin Stoller: A1, A3, B1, B4. Larry Bunker: A2, A4, B2, B3. Red Mitchell is documented by the session discography. Times derive from a reference edition, not a measurement of this pressing.