Billie Holiday and Lester Young: Fine and Mellow

R00TZSP Says:

Mar 30, 2012 - I don't think anybody's disputing that Amy was talented. However, she wasn't a Billie Holiday, or in my opinion, even really comparable. 

hassem50 Says:

Mar 30, 2012 - Yes, jazz can´t be better than this. This is the a-team gathered.

SANTILOBE Says:

Mar 31, 2012 - LADY DAY, EMOCIONANTE.

binwhiffer Says:

Mar 31, 2012 - Perfect Billie & Lester right there.

satziebaby Says:

Mar 31, 2012 - how can six people dislike this????

ewhitebrit Says:

Mar 31, 2012 - This is a fine recording. This is originality at its finest. Man this is great. Billie is superb and smooth.

David Walsh Says:

Apr 2, 2012 - Well said!

Darxink Says:

Apr 2, 2012 - Why is this so entirely credited to Holday and Pres? Roy Eldridge and Hawk have big roles, as well as some other big A list historical jazz figures... Lester actually has the shortest solo.

bookyawala Says:

Apr 2, 2012 - they both had drug addictions?

Darxink Says:

Apr 2, 2012 - Indeed. Billie Holiday had it real bad, and Lester was all fucked up too. You can tell how strung out they were on this video alone. To my understanding, Holiday's ability to stand was so unreliable that the TV producers encouraged her to sit on that stool for the duration of the show. Billie knew what she was doing here, and her voice and performance was still great. But there is an ounce of sadness watching her, the heroin so infused in her identity.

jazzbohemia Says:

Apr 4, 2012 - Billie Holiday could sing with or without!

djjjamin Says:

Apr 11, 2012 - the reason lesters solo was so short was probably because the producers made it that way. lester young and billie holiday couldnt even stay in the same room together, and the health of both of em was giving away. lester wasnt supposed to stand during his solo, and he almost didnt do the gig, but at the last second he got up right in front of holiday and sang an incredible blues to her thru his tenor. all the people filming it bust into tears when that happened cause it was so powerful.

djjjamin Says:

Apr 11, 2012 - i mean amy winehouse could sing some good jazz. shes nothing like billie holiday who was a musician beyond her voice, but amy winehouse was a good jazz singer. most of the music winehouse put out was horribly produced or just written badly, but if she can sing moody's mood for love as well as she can, amy winehouse is a good jazz singer in my book. wat im sayin is amy winehouse had a solid knowledge of jazz and could sing it well, dont be so quick to judge.

mscrunchy68 Says:

Apr 11, 2012 - six people don't get it, ain't got it and probably never had it...

stargell777 Says:

Apr 16, 2012 - Somebody once wrote that Bill Evans was a school of music unto himself. I feel the same about Billie.

vitaminblue1999 Says:

Apr 22, 2012 - This originally aired on CBS, television was never better!!!

keytoring Says:

May 5, 2012 - i don't believe it: ben webster palys one of the best solos i ever heard him play, and STILL he gets pwned by the prez... "friend, lemme show you how to serenade a woman." i must be responsible for at least half of the views

Rattler32114 Says:

May 5, 2012 - da white boy Mulligan was also addicted to heroin

LTdrumma Says:

May 11, 2012 - date anyone?

pbol2504 Says:

May 20, 2012 - beautiful... that look she has during lester's solo, is just so endearing, "like, you just got me man", the magic of blues, wooow

pbol2504 Says:

May 20, 2012 - 1957!

Greg Dahlberg Says:

May 21, 2012 - Billie...Prez...Little Jazz Eldridge...Ben Webster...Mulligan...this video has it all, Where else but youtube can you witness the legendary musical chemistry between Lady Day and Lester? Among all the other legends associated with this remarkable slice of American Culture, I must include the name of Norman Granz, the remarkable jazz impresario who had all of these artists under contract at Verve during the '50's. Without his influence and contacts in the industry, this would not have been saved.

MrJabbybo Says:

May 22, 2012 - and addicted more so to music