Billie Holiday With Ray Ellis And His Orchestra
Lady In Satin
She's got a beautiful voice. Vocalising as from the heart of a woman whose best days are long gone, this is a complete album that doesn't even remotely give the impression that she's interpreting others' songs, but instead as if every single syllable had been written either by, or for her.
Together with Ray Ellis' delicate orchestration Lady In Satin is a made for the ballroom-jazz where no nuance of the lyrics is lost. It's a very enjoyable album whether you are feeling melancholic or just want to drift way for a while.
Adding to the feeling of sadness is that this was Lady Day's second-to-last recording as she succumbed to cirrhosis of the liver just a year later.