Songs For Distingue Lovers

"Songs for Distingué Lovers" was one of the various albums Billie Holiday recorded in the 1950s, during her contract with jazz producer Norman Granz. The jazz impresario surrounded the singer with important instrumentalists, such as Ben Webster and Harry “Sweets” Edison, who had both worked with Billie during the 1930s and 1940s – Edison as a member of the Count Basie Orchestra during Holiday’s brief stint as the band’s female vocalist, and Webster from the recordings she made for Vocalion Records and Okeh Records. Granz also provided her with a repertoire including some of the best pieces from the Great American Songbook.

The LP featured here showcases Holiday in a small band setting, which she was most comfortable with. The album received a four-star rating in Down Beat upon its release, with John A. Tynan stating that “This is one of those loose, utterly relaxed sessions where the rhythm section is settled in a happy groove behind the singer and the horn men are left free to say their piece without the restriction of short takes. Miss Holiday remains the unique stylist, still incomparable.”