Description
180g pink coloured vinyl - the complete album + 2 bonus tracks, contains newly prepared liner notes by Penguin Guide to Jazz's writer Brian Morton.
After an impasse in which she mostly recorded with tightly arranged groups (for Commodore) and big bands with strings (for Decca), Billie Holiday signed her last long-term contract with Norman Granz. When he signed her as a recording artist in 1952, he tried to repeat the small group magic of her early days. She participated on various sessions surrounded by old friends like Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Harry "Sweets" Edison", Charlie Shavers and Cozy Cole, all of whom had participated on dates with her in the 1930s, plus other big names from Granz's payroll at the time, such as Benny Carter, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Jimmy Rowles. 'Music for Torching' contains some of Billie's best sides from that period.
"When she's right -and she's absorbingly right on these sides- no one yet is able to touch Billie as the most emotionally striking singer in jazz, 20 years ago or today. Totally recommended." - ***** Nat Hentoff, DownBeat