FEBRUARY 20

                     BILLIE HOLIDAY
                     Lady in Satin
                     
                       Recording Date: 
                           February 19-21, 1958

                       Personnel:
                           Billie Holiday    Vo
                           Ray Ellis Orchestra
                           Barry Galbraith  G
                           Mal Waldron      P 
                           Urbie Green      TB 
                           Milt Hinton        B
                           J.J. Johnson     TB
                           Osie Johnson     D 
                           Phil Kraus          Per
                           Tommy Mitchell TB

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Review by Scott Yanow
This is the most controversial of all Billie Holiday records. Lady Day herself said that this session (which finds her accompanied by Ray Ellis' string orchestra) was her personal favorite, and many listeners have found her emotional versions of such songs as "I'm a Fool to Want You," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Glad to Be Unhappy," and particularly "You've Changed" to be quite touching. But Holiday's voice was essentially gone by 1958, and although not yet 43, she could have passed for 73. Ellis' arrangements do not help, veering close to Muzak; most of this record is very difficult to listen to. Late in life, Holiday expressed the pain of life so effectively that her croaking voice had become almost unbearable to hear. There is certainly a wide range of opinion as to the value of this set.