What can be said about Lady Day that has not already been said? To listen to her recordings is to marvel at the depth of emotion one small lady can reveal in a song. Her style is unmistakeable and her musicianship is at last being appreciated. Her influence on singers of her day and all that follow is undeniable. Her life has been the topic of movies, books and song, but her soul can be experience individually when listening to her recordings. Happily, her bountiful recordings are all represented on compact disc and more are being produced with themes such as "romantic songs" or "blues" all coming from the same source, her collected records for Decca, Verve, and Columbia and all are exceptional. Listen to the young Billie and you hear a maturity of experience which is far beyond her years. Hear the mature Billie and you sense a woman who has survived life's harsh realities. There do not seem to be any recordings that do not somehow display a part of the woman and her art. No home should be without at least one recording of Billie Holiday, it makes life bearable.
--Ismael Rangel