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Billie Holiday & Vivian Fears (Japanese paper sleeve edition)

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An unusual set, without a lot of information – but one that features some great work by Billie Holiday – and some rare sides by singer Vivian Fears too! We're guessing that the Holiday material comes from around the same time as her LA sides for Score Records – and Billie's at this great pivotal point when she's still got some rough spots around the edges, yet already has that undeniably wonderful quality to her voice – a way of stepping out with spare, subtle power no matter what the setting – which, on this record, includes a few tracks with small combo backing, one with larger orchestrations, one with a vocal group, and another with a swinging big band. Holiday titles include "Them There Eyes", "God Bless The Child", "Lover Man", "My Man", and "Don't Explain". Vivian Frears appears to be a singer of later vintage – the recordings feel as if they're from the late 50s – and one who really shows the evolution of the styles that Holiday first brought into jazz with her music! Vivian's got this bluesy way of swinging a tune, yet a looser, jazzier style too – loads of soulful undercurrents that really sound great, and which make us wish we knew a bit more about the singer, who almost gets a bit righteous at a few spots. Backing on Frears tracks is by a small combo with great guitar – and titles include "Billy Boy", "More Beautiful Than Planned", "Come On In", "I Could Cre", and "Motherless Child".  © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.