Billie Holiday : The Essential Billie Holiday – Carnegie Hall Concert Recorded Live

The live recordings included here are among the very best from Billie Holiday’s final years. Part of the motivation behind the 1956 Carnegie Hall concert was to promote Billie’s autobiography, ‘Lady Sings the Blues’. The music was attuned entirely to Billie’s character part, reinforced by readings from her book by Gilbert Millstein. Although recorded in 1956, the LP was only issued in 1961, almost two years after Billie’s passing on July 17, 1959, at the age of 44.

Track Listing:
1. Reading from Lady Sings the Blues – Billie Holiday
2. Lady Sings the Blues – Billie Holiday
3. It Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do – Billie Holiday
4. Travelin’ Light With Reading – Billie Holiday
5. Reading from Lady Sings the Blues – Billie Holiday
6. Billie’s Blues – Billie Holiday
7. Body and Soul – Billie Holiday
8. Reading from Lady Sings the Blues – Billie Holiday
9. Don’t Explain – Billie