Originally Posted by
thanxal
Billie had three distinct phases of her career. You may have heard only one and not liked it. Her first was with Columbia. Her earliest tracks were with Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw's bands but also backed by Teddy Wilson, himself a legend. She was bouncy, swingy and her phrasing was more conventional. During her Decca period [[starting in the mid40s), she developed more of her trademark phrasing and mournful styling. Her Decca years were her best vocally, IMHO, however Decca had her record some truly unpleasant schmaltz backed by background singers and strings [[as they did with Fitzgerald) in order to gain her a wider following. Some of it [[Don't Explain, No More) was great. Other sides, not so much. In the early 50s she signed with Verve [[and her drug and alcohol abuse was audible), and she started singing songs with a good, true jazz feel, and outstanding backing bands, but her voice couldn't withstand the abuse she was throwing at herself and she deteriorated by about 1957 or 58. Her last album, in 1959 when she died, is very difficult to listen to. Lady in Satin is one of her best, musically speaking, although that is a controversial statement amongst her fans.
Bookmarks