Lady In Satin

Did a bit of background reading on this one while listening to it and my opinion is probably more than a little coloured by that. I didn't really know anything about Billie Holiday beforehand. It also prompted me to go and listen to some other of her tracks for a bit of a comparison. Billie's voice here has a different quality to it, that I can only assume comes from the fact that she was, frankly, not at her best. Despite that, she delivers some incredible emotion and still has the same jazz phrasing. As an album, it's a little samey, but the orchestral backing is perfect for Billie's voice. It's as comforting and calming as it is sad. I'm having a really hard time trying to rate this. I usually reserve "4" ratings for things I'd go back to, and I don't know if I would go back to this specific album... but I'm glad to have heard it, and I'm glad to know more about Lady Day. Think it deserves an exception.

This sounds like a movie soundtrack. I initially didn't like her voice but it grew on me. It sounding this good despite being from 1958 is a bit crazy but I'm not sure how much the digital remaster is carrying that aspect. Overall it sounded like the same track over and over sooooooo 2

Day 231 Not remotely for me. Highlights I’m a fool to want you

This definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be. She sort of had that iconic 30's and 40's kind of sound. I didn't mind it. It was a fun listen to get into that mode. 4/15/26

first listen fantastic

Probably the oldest album I've ever listened to but super relaxing I must admit.

classic jazz album

This is #day599 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about some Lady Day today? Definitely a jazz voice that cannot be mistaken for any other. I don't really mind the whole affair. It's unlikely that I'd choose to play this on my own outside this list, though. "I'm a Fool To Want You" is a staple, of course. Sorry to learn about her drug addiction and subsequent demise. Also, her dog, Mister, was a cute fella. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day, wow, 600.

As much as I love Billie Holiday's voice, this album isn't my favorite. The elaborate orchestral arrangements popular at the time don't do anything for me, and in fact I think sort of detract from her amazing voice. The 4 rating I'm giving is not because of Billie, but overall it's not my favorite way to listen to her.

relaxing

something i can see myself listening to for a very calm day

3/10

sitting here at LAX i had ample time to digest this album but unfortunately it is basically the same song for 45 minutes. i have heard very little of billie holiday, and while her voice is really nice, i do not feel like this was a great introduction to her. as ana noted, a compilation album would've worked better, because it's not like there was any pretense of this being An Album in the first place. quite unfortunate!

There's one Billie Holiday album on this list and it probably should've been a compilation album, because a lot of the best of Billie Holiday predates the album era and so were only released on singles. Gloomy Sunday or the haunting Strange Fruit, I'll be seeing you and Easy living are all great, there's absolutely enough Billie Holiday songs to compile together a great album on this list. Those were all only released as singles that were only later added into compilation albums. All this preamble is to say, despite really liking Billie Holiday, I don't like this album much. It simply doesn't hit the incredible highs of the best of Billie Holiday. There are good highlights on here, The end of a love Affair or I'm a fool to Want you, but overall this is very samey and monotonous. Songs quickly started to blend together in a way that honestly nearly put me to sleep. The singing on here is excellent, the orchestra is great but stripped back- the issue is that every song structure and tune sounds the same as the last. I hate to give this a 2, but its honestly just not her best work.

It’s fine and lovely.

7.5

What a voice. Like your grandma on heroin. That’s a compliment. She sounds like an imperious cat who likes expensive jewelry. Billie Holiday is like if Eartha Kitt was raised in a castle, so she lost some ferality but gained regality. None of the is makes sense. She’s wonderful, and I’m not just saying that because this album followed KISS’s “Destroyer”.

Not my cup of tea. Beautiful melodies, but a little repetitive and I’m not a big fan of the voice, either (sry)

this was nice, quite like the vibe and billie's voice. i did get tired of the orchestral strings though because the instrumentation was the same for every single song. was giving disney music ?

Really good but not my jam. Didn't listen to the entire thing.

Beautiful voice and music, but after a while they all sound kinda the same.

Listening to this album is like stepping into a time machine. It’s rare to hear a production like this nowadays, with Holiday’s textured but subtle singing somehow balanced with a full orchestra. But even more than the tasteful arrangements, the album’s relationship with time gives it that aura from another era. Despite declaring, “I walk a little too fast and I drive a little too fast,” Holiday seems to be in no rush to move through this record. The pacing demands a lot from the modern listener, but once you settle into the music, you realize that there’s no place else you need to go.

A great Swan Song by another influential voice of 20th century American music. The voice behind these iconic songs leaves the listener feeling even more aloof and sedated than they would be having heard some of the songwriters sing (Sinatra, for example) In "Lady In Satin" Holiday's aged voice is consistent, delivering emotion and message like a well oiled machine, rarely faltering or sputtering. Maintaining the message the pieces were intended to provoke; pensive sadness. 3.5

A truly lovely album with a very narrow range.

Truly iconic voice at the end of her life.

This album starts off strong but it falls through halfway. While I’m not a huge fan of her vocal style I did enjoy the classical arrangements. I feel like the instrumentation stood out the more for me. Overall it’s a pretty decent album.

My first exposure to Billie Holiday was, I am afraid to say, with Fallout 3 when I was 17 years old with "Crazy he calls me". It was always one of my favourite tracks, Holiday's voice been both a juxtaposition and a complimenting sound to the vast destruction and oppressive wasteland. Holiday's vocals are a most prime example of a voice being "Hauntingly Beautiful"; I can only describe as having a deep subtlety that gives it it's true power. A deep shame, then, that there is such little variation in the tonality (I am trying to avoid using the word 'Vibe' but it is so good) from track to track. All of them bleed into each other in a way that makes each one lack a distinctive identity; I couldn't tell each track apart from each other. This is my only real criticism, as everything does come together beautifully on each track. This may be because of the time of it's release; Little Richard's album from this list was released 1 year earlier and had the exact same issue for me.

Right there with ya, Billie! 5

Billie Holiday’s smooth yet raspy voice on Lady in Satin goes down like a long, slow sip of properly aged Kentucky bourbon—and that’s saying something, considering I rarely drink the stuff. The album is beautifully sultry, filled with an incredible sense of longing, and often feels like the ideal record to put on during a lazy Sunday afternoon—slow-dancing in the living room with the one you love while the room is cast in long shadows. I feel a little sorry for fellow listeners working through the 1001 Albums list who dismiss this record as boring, claim all the songs sound the same, or fault Holiday for not writing the material herself. By focusing on those minor details, they miss the point entirely. It’s unfortunate they can’t fully appreciate a jazz singer like Billie Holiday or recognize the depth of her talent, because it truly shines here.

There's no denying who's singing when this album hits your ears. Her raspy emotional and haunting voice really lends itself well to the musical selections. This is dark, candle-lit tables in a basement, jazz club music and it's really enjoyable.

Yup

I did like this, I thought the textures on some of the tracks were gorgeous BUT feel like the editors could’ve chosen a more definitive, memorable and/or just better Billie Holiday album than this :( also WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE BILLIE HOLIDAY ALBUM ON THIS LIST??? while there’s TWO EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL ALBUMS?????

Overall Rating - 4.63/5 (9.25/10). Ms. Holiday has a stunningly beautiful voice. This album is exactly what I expected from Billie Holiday.

Maybe controversial given your review but I actually think the vocals are the issue for me here. She's so warbly. Musically I don't mind it, I like pretending I live in the 1950s

Jazz (pejorative) with a shit tonne of string (extremely pejorative).

Found it hard to reconcile that she was struggling with a heroin addiction at this time with her voice on this record. She sounds great to me. Majestic, soulful, honest, refreshing, beautiful, sparse and bare. Really liked this, 4 out of 5 stars.

Billie Holiday is one of the greats, an artist I've loved for as long as I can remember, and one of the cornerstones of my musical awakening when I was younger. So of course I'm going to love this album. That said, this one doesn't quite work as well as some of her earlier recordings. It's fair to say that by the time she went into the studio to record this one, her voice had lost some of the power and range she exhibits in her early career, and to some degree that's compounded by the more muted tonal style of the tracks themselves. However, it's also undeniable that what this album lacks in vocal and musical excitement, it more than makes up for with emotional impact. You can't listen to this album without getting a lump in your throat. This is Lady Day telling the world she's still got the power to grab you by the heart, even if she hasn't got the voice any more. For me, her recordings with Clef will always be the height of her back catalogue, with Lady Sings the Blues being my favourite, but this is still a damned fine album and worth at least four out of five stars.

The star power of Holiday's music is palpable, no matter when in her career it was recorded. But in Lady In Satin's case, it's not particularly great-sounding or revolutionary (as a standalone record) compared to some of her earlier works. The slow tempo, identical arrangements, relatively limited range of moods... all of these are extremely consistent between the album's 12 tracks. So it's hard to enjoy this as a full album experience in the modern-day sense, something containing ups and downs and a variety of genres to demonstrate what an artist is capable of creating and performing (or, sometimes, to showcase a concept). But then, expectations of musical output were very different in the 50s. Even Elvis had only recently appeared on this scene by this point, and the British Invasion was still half a dozen years away. Are these excuses for something this unvaried – as another reviewer wrote, "listening to one monotonous 40 minute long song"? No, they aren't. We can't be holding different eras to different standards. In addition, judging by the number of streams, this record doesn't seem like a particularly influential release amidst the rest Holiday's discography. It really leads one to question why *this* album was picked, you know? You Don't Know What Love Is is an instant highlight. Not for Holiday's performance, but rather for Mel Davis's clear, angelic trumpet delivery during the solo. Later, the song But Beautiful is just as great for exactly the same reason. But all the other songs blend together, and by around the halfway point (Violets for Your Furs), I'm looking forward to the silence of the inner groove. Absolutely no effort is put into variety or textural changes. Or original compositions: every song is a cover. Shameful. We know Holiday is capable of writing good songs, based on her earlier output, so she has no excuse here. This is a weak record. 2/5 Key tracks: You Don't Know What Love Is, But Beautiful

soft relaxing jazz. nothing i can complain about :)

The lonely ghost wandering the streets, an orphan girl, was deeply moving—it almost gave me goosebumps. But it’s really hard for me to like it.

Billie's was a generational talent so I was a little disappointed to find this was the only album from her on the list. While its good, it isn't her best. If you enjoyed this, do yourself a favor and listen to "Lady Sings the Blues". I also recommend reading her autobiography by the same name.

No one sings like Billie

Great voice for sure, but very dated

One of the saddest stories in music, a tragic example of greed, abusive men and racism. Recorded this album a year before she lay dying in a hospital, chained to the bed, less than a buck to her name. 44 years old, should be in her prime. History sucks.

When to listen: Sunny Sunday morning brunch. I love Billie Holiday but these songs just kind of blended together for me, so I docked off a point. I know her other albums have more range. Her voice and her vibe is incredibleeee

Flawless

this songs are so beautiful in a Disney wayyy!! cute

Legendary voice, timeless material. easy 5.

What can I say, not a fan..music for grand grandmothers

All time great

Album #51: Lady in Satin - Billie Holiday Genre (W): Vocal jazz No singles. I have listened to this album several times. Thoughts?: I think historically it is an important album. Billie’s penultimate album (the final one released during her lifetime) shows a weak and weary Holiday acting longingly. However, historical significance doesn’t automatically elevate an album. A lot of these songs are jazz standards that I know but don’t associate with Billie Holiday. Not the best. Favorite songs: I’m a Fool to Want You, I Get Along Without You Very Well, Glad to be Unhappy

A nice little album

Pretty good album, not much to add

Meh

Why? Why not show her at her best? What does this show except a great in decline?

I've a massive problem with this. She records it in early 58 and is dead by June 59. By 58 she is long gone, the drugs and booze have done irreparable damage. She's surrounded by spivs and grifters who exploited her literally to death. Dies with 70 cents in her bank account. This sounds like she was propped up at the microphone and told to sing along with a studio orchestra, whom I'm sure were horrified by what was going on. A terrible record to pick for this process and a discredit to her incredible career. I'm two for two on the daily afternoon Dimery stakes.

Again, an album on the list because the artist didn't release many records in the 'album' format as currently understood. Billie Holiday's best years were well past by the time she recorded this, the year before she died. Alcoholic, drug addicted, and broke, she did convince Columbia to sign her, give her an unlimited recording budget and access to her arranger of choice and great material from the American songbook (although songs she had not recorded before). With a lush, rich, middle-of-the-road orchestral backing (bordering on schmaltzy), her voice is cracked and creaking, but still with her timing, emotion and intimacy intact. That amount of vocal fry was, at the time, unheard of, but is almost ubiquitous now. This is hardly Billie Holiday at her best, but even when barely able to sing, she still casts a long shadow today. Her phrasing, the way she moves around a melody, and the dry, croaking tone are now common in popular music. She certainly lives in the songs, and the emotional truth is extraordinary. She set the template for popular song singers. One of the most influential recording artists ever, but better served with a compilation that also includes her earlier recordings.

Great voice and smooth jazz tones. I think I liked her album Solitude more, but I'm sure she made plenty of good albums.

Hard to not enjoy this. Revisiting on a Sunday morning with Bloody Mary in hand, smoking a cig indoors

Relaxing Fave track: I'm a Fool to Want You

Just fine. 3/5

Same pace Chill vibes Not many streams 3/5

01) I'm a Fool to Want You - 6,5 02) For Heaven's Sake - 6,0 03) You Don't Know What Love Is - 6,0 04) I Get Along Without You Very Well - 6,0 05) For All We Know - 6,0 06) Violets for Your Furs - 6,0 07) You've Changed - 6,5 08) It's Easy to Remember - 6,0 09) But Beautiful - 6,0 10) Glad to Be Unhappy - 6,0 11) I'll Be Around - 6,0 12) The End of a Love Affair - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,13 (61/100) Current ranking: 639/840

5.7/10

Schmaltzy string, Bambi flutes, tame brass and plodding rhythms give all the songs a slow baggy washed out feel that nails a certain set of moods - listless, cool, complacent. But aside from a few turns of melodic phrase and the creaking cracking timbre of her voice, it's over orchestrated, tedious and pretty boring.

I respect her more than I enjoy her.

What a sad album. Amazing.

A pretty pleasant record to listen to, love her voice, but it's a bit boring and very, very samey.

Not my thing

I realise Billie’s name and influence in music is huge, but I just couldn’t get into it

Little repetitive, but a lovely voice and some lovely songs.

Sounds like a Disney film

Easy but didn't make a strong impression. I like the atmosphere of this album and Billie Holidays voice though. From Musicboard (OG 1/17/26 [#27] Imported 2/26/26)

An amazing voice. The music and arrangements are really top notch as well.

This album is not to my taste. Monotonous and boring is how I would describe it. Her voice is uninspiring. I can not tell when one song starts and one song ends. It's all the same. Not for me, respectfully.

Not the Billie Holiday I'm used to. I guess you can't include her classic recordings without choosing a compilation. Still very good. Surprising how well her voice works with these kind of late 50s lush arrangements.

Very monotone Not my thing

I'm triggered from missing a Billie Holiday question at pub trivia last week. Music is pretty slow. Can definitely picture it at an old-timey night club.

I don't know, yall. Her story sure is a bit sad. How did she become so renown - logistically it's hard for me to comprehend? Jazz with vocals is not my thing but the music wasn't annoying. Glad she was able to find some joy in her life via music.

3.5 stars. Musically very similar to Sinatra (jazz). Slow, contemplative expressive voice.

When it's time for loving.

The 50's track record so far on my list has been stellar, so it pains me a bit to have the hot streak come to an end. There's nothing "wrong" with this album. It's exactly what it is, a generational vocal talent towards the end of an era doing what she does best. But there's no astonishing hits, or many things to clearly differentiate many of the tunes from the others. It's nice. Billie Holiday's voice is every bit a classic, and the orchestration is lovely. But it just doesn't do enough for me, and I really don't know that I'll be coming back. Highlight: You Don't Know What Love Is

This is a beautiful album. Billie's voice is sultry and has such a unique sound and tone that just draws you in. The instrumentals are soft, airy and smooth. They give you a real sense of peace and paint a beautiful picture with each note. When you combine the two you get a beautiful album that paints a serene picture of life events that may not be the most uplifting, but it does it in a way that encapsulates you and draws you in. You can't help but appreciate how beautiful the album sounds.

Every song sounded the same and her voice felt irritating at times

Every song sounds the same. Not bad, but not great either.

Siempre me gustó más ella por su voz que por sus canciones.

Beautiful, gorgeous. Wanted to like it more than I do. The raspiness in her voice can be a little harsh for my taste at times, but my god I’m grateful to know this albums exists.

Too old for my taste. Didn't really enjoy at all

Very melancholic album. I think the toll that age has taken on Holiday's voice is really a double-edged sword here. It both adds a lot of emotional intensity and a sense of wistfulness to many of the songs, but it also definitely limits her range in a way that saps energy. Favorite Songs: "I'm a Fool to Want You", "You've Changed", "The End of a Love Affair" Least Favorite Song: "But Beautiful" Low 4.

It's ok, not really my thing though

Just a little too slow for my liking

Phenomenal, haunting, an exceptionally brave display of bravery and vulnerability

Best Song: Glad to Be Unhappy. I liked the melancholy lyrics and the trumpet. Worst Song: You Don't Know What Love Is. The warble in her voice was far too prominent in this track for me. Overall: I know it is an artifact of the times, but goddamn if it didn't feel like every song was being sung in slow motion. Her voice is nice, but I couldn't stand the pace. It's probably a fine album on at least double speed.

God this album just works. Holiday near the end of her career and life has a voice that has lost all of it's lustre, but without all of that shine the true emotion and pain that she is singing about pierces through this record and into your ears. Maybe there are other versions of these songs sung by people whose voices are in better shape, but the pain and humanity that Holiday brings is completely unmatched. The big band backing is also fantastic, giving an ethereal backing as Holiday sings herself into her grave. I really like this album, but even with all that is has it's flaws, mainly that it has the exact same sound throughout. That's normal for albums like this, where the artist is recording standards and songs from the Great American Songbook, but the lack of originality is noticeable throughout. As a result, this album is less what we would call an album today (i.e. a compilation of songs that create a story or feeling that is controlled tightly by the artist to give you a unique experience while you listen to it), and instead is just a collection of songs that the artist wanted to sing. As an album, it doesnàt really work because of that. But as a collection of songs it is great, and I will definitely be listening to it again. Just, one song at a time maybe, as by the end the tracks started to blend into each other. Highlights include I Get Along Without You Very Well, Violets for Your Furs, Glad to Be Unhappy and The End of a Love Affair.

I mean, she’s no Aretha Franklin, but there’s something very compelling about her voice. Really stunning standouts on this, but it feels very homogenous. As good as the orchestra behind her is, they really only play one song this entire time. Still really strong though, I was really impressed. Favorites: I’m A Fool to Want You, You Don’t Know What Love Is, Glad to Be Unhappy

Her voice is so grating compared to the beautiful music

All the same song to me

A late Holiday

Most songs sounded the same despite her undeniable talent and iconic status. I was surprised this didn't grab me.

Great voice but meh

Old school black blues

Legendary. Amazing voice - groundbreaking. It's tough to judge Billie against newer acts because it's so foundational, but here goes: it's very well-produced and polished. Her voice is outstanding. This selection of songs is great, but gets a little sleepy. Still - 9/10.

A treasure to the ears.

Love Holiday, bwautiful voice, sensitive music. Just don't think this album represented her best.

Sounds like an old Christmas love movie sound track. A middle schooler would call it lame boomer music. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules. Probably unfair.

Feels like I’m in a New York underground jazz bar, dim lighting and great cocktails. Nice album about love. 3.5

It is a beautiful album, and she is deservedly one of the greats of this time and style! I loved reading about the history of this album, and there is a certain additional sadness around this being the second last album she made, and the last to be released while she was alive. I will be honest and say I do not typically listen to this style of music, but the orchestra is gorgeous and cinematic, and the bit of grit in her voice as she aged is lovely. It has put me in a distinctly melancholic place today.

Billie could sing the dictionary and it would sound beautiful. I just feel sad that all the songs towards the end of her life were about heartbreak. Maybe all her songs were about heartbreak the whole time?? Listening to this will give your day a softly sad romantic edge. This kind of music isn't how I personally take my melancholy, but I can appreciate the beauty of it.

Music from the 50s now feels like it's kinda from another world, Billie Holliday has such a famous and perfect voice that it's a bit like trying to review a faberge egg or a Ming vase or something. Once again takes me back to the weird phase of my teenage years when I was a 16 year old heavily into vocal jazz. That big sense of all-consuming melancholy that drew me to it then is still there and is kinda irresistible.

Much love & respect to the incredible Ms.Day; a bad bee if ever there was one. I salute her stature, her contributions, and her output. Such a distinctive voice. This is an incredible record & a great listen in the right circumstance. I don't find myself in that circumstance often tho. I'm generally looking to crank this party up, not slow things down. And so we're gonna put this’un at a 3

This is great 5/5

Billie is an icon with a discography to match. This is the sound of a star in its final form, full of experience and emotion and beyond confidence into acceptance whilst still holding it together. The voice is raspy but that just adds a layer. The music is beautifully done with sweeping orchestral to follow the emotion in her voice.

I love the weariness in her voice, I enjoyed it more than the recordings of her voice from earlier years. It was quite beautiful on my first listen. On a second listen I found it a decent bit harder to get through however. Rating: 3.8

I’m not sure if this album was really the best representation for the only Billie Holliday entry on this list. I always find it strange when they choose albums late in an artist’s career, especially ones where the singer’s voice has deteriorated so much. Despite that, I thought it was pretty decent. Holiday’s voice is pretty raspy but you could tell the technique was still there. The arrangements are really lush and beautiful.

This is just well and truly not my thing. Wouldn't be mad it was on or anything, and I'm sure for the type of person who loves wistful love ballads set to orchestras it's great, but for all the jazz I've voraciously consumed I just really don't care about this kinda stuff at all.

Such a fascinating and emotional voice, even stripped of so much of its power, but needs more hooks or snap for me to really love

This is all fairly one note, but it IS a gorgeous note. Listened in bed on a Sunday and felt sleepy n relaxed which I feel like is the correct way to experience this album

I went into this thinking it was going to be way better than it ended up being! Still not bad, every song is like getting drenched in perfume and sent hurdling into a romance. I guess I thought that there would be more variation?

Beautiful

Classic tunes with wonderful melodies and a strong emotional voice.

Amazing voice - unfortunately the songs/production are just so dated that does do her justice.

There's a lot of artist's final albums in this list. A little morbid? Is it hindsight, or does she sound pained in her singing on this album? Another talented artist abused and used by others. Sad that it takes posthumous reflection to get recognized. Not really a jazz album this, and not really a jazz fan, but I bet she sounds better singing in a small, dark club with a piano and a bass and not all the orchestra strings. Crossed between an album of Christmas-sounding songs and James Bond theme tunes.

¿Sabes como llegué a Billie Holiday? A través de una compilación de Verve Records con remixes electrónicos. Ya me había extrañado su ausencia en esta lista. Es que su voz es magnífica.

Her voice is beautiful and unique, but this album was slow, repetative and uninsipiring.

If I’m dying in a nursing home beside the one I love, then and only then can you play Billie Holliday. Other than that, keep this dogshit away from me.

Look - I love Billie Holiday. I stan Billie Holiday. But holy shit was this album a slog. It felt like one single 44 minute long song. I had to keep checking youtube to make sure I wasn't looping the same song over again. The only saving grace was the occasional trumpet line. Whole thing felt like the backtrack to a boring ass movie from the 50s.

Vocal jazz is a genre I don't spend much time listening to. It's beautiful, but it's rarely what I'm looking for. This is the kind of music a movie character's grandmother dances to in a wedding flashback. It's been really hard to meet these records where they're at. I'm sure if you're in a sad, sentimental mood, this record hits hard. That's just not where I'm at right now. That said, the fact that I'm not in a place to emotionally receive this record, does not change it's greatness. But if I don't actually enjoy the listening experience that much, how do I know it's great? Because it's critically acclaimed? Because I've heard the name Billie Holiday thrown around a lot? It's a hard problem to solve.

stirring string arrangements and her voice enrapturing. not the type of music I throw on often // this was excellent in its own right.

Every time she holds a note, I imagine she's in a car going over rumble strips... I thought the music and her vocals were disconnected in a strangely beautiful way. Woodwinds remind me of classic Disney movies. 2.5/5 gramophones.

Man, hate to disrespect, but I never want to hear this again. Looks like this was her final album before she died, and she sounds a lot older than 44. The circumstances of her death are wild and sad. Ray Ellis and his orchestra at times sound like they’re making the most boring Bond movie ever. But, there are some moments that sound pleasant enough.

Enjoyable

Kinda like listening to one song over and over again

3/5 Vocais e arranjos lindos. A escolha do repertório, no entanto, deixa o álbum um tanto unidimensional.

very disney very old disney cute

Always good to listen to Billie. She was such a talent.

A nice, calming drive back from San Diego with Billie.

Just a beautiful sung jazz / mid century pop album from the 50's, with a lovely Orchestra to back it. i could just listen this to this all day and not get bored haha

If I listened to this album as a child, I would think that this is so boring. But as an adult, I can fully appreciate the feel of this album. It makes you appreciate the little things in life more, the flowers, the birds and the sky. She has such beautiful vocals and would fit in perfectly with a bittersweet movie.

Beautiful singing; with sadness always coming through. Just right for a meloncholy sunday evening.

Nice background Muscic but not too keen on her voice

Dit voelt als een heel naar album om te zeggen dat het niet voor mij was. De arrangementen zijn classic en het zangtalent is 100% daar. De stem zelf haalt het niet meer. Eigenlijk tragisch gezien de omstandigheden, wat het ergens ook een extra laag geeft. Maar als ik eerlijk met mezelf ben zie ik mezelf niet nog eens naar dit album luisteren. 5/10

Billie Holliday had a mesmerising voice and was a hell of an icon back in the day before her untimely self-destructive death. However, I find this all a bit samey, even verging on dull at times musically, though the singing is pretty anguished. Quite depressing really. I can appreciate it and will go to a 3 in its original format but overall a bit of a disappointment.

In isolation, I like each of these songs. But as a whole, it's too much. A bit like listening to early Bond themes or your grandparents' wireless for an hour.

I really like the uniqueness of her late-career voice. Is perfect for these kind of standard. Like many collaborations between orchestra and pop-jazz from the era, I find the arrangement a bit syrupy. 3.75/5

I really should have done this with brandy, or sherry. It was a cold winter night here in Canada to enjoy Lady Day. Always the best. The a cappella tracks are incredible to hear her phrasing.

really gentle yet powerful

I love the raspiness and wavering of her voice mixed with the lightness of the orchestra. And when the angelic background voices chime in, there’s another level. I listened to this sitting on my porch watching the snow fall and I can’t think of a better way to do it. You don’t know what love is is a standout for me.

Always great to listen to some BIllie Holiday. She was an even nicer get a pick this morning. As it’s a chilly winter morning and I was relaxing with a nice hot cup of coffee, cuddled up with the dog. 4.5 / 5 Also if you gave Billie a 1 star review, then I go look at your page and Bob Dylan albums are a 5. It’s not her singing that bothers you, trust me.

Great album I personally just get tired of the inflections she uses and the constant vibrato.

Beautifully sad songs.

For the final album from Lady Day we get to hear her sing with an accompanying 40-piece orchestra led by Ray Ellis. Her voice is not what it was early in her career, but that does not make it any less emotionally impactful. To my ear, it is the contrast of the sometimes-raspy vocals imposed against the beautiful string arrangements that make the album feel more genuine, lending to its emotional impact. Holiday wanted to make a pretty album and got exactly what she was hoping for. Holiday is among the most important jazz singers in history. She considered her voice to an instrument and sought to emulate her favorite musicians. The unique phrasing that resulted is immediately recognizable and continues to inspire generations later. Holiday is not just a seminal jazz singer; her artistry was important to the transformation of pop music away from rote interpretations of pre-written standards toward unique expressions from the artists. Holiday has a hard and turbulent life. It is poignant that her final record would be one focused beauty. It may not be her best work, but that doesn’t mean it is not a magnificent record. This is absolutely an album that everyone should listen to at least once before they die.

I like Billie Holiday’s earlier sparser jazzy records. I don’t think the lush big band orchestration on this album fits her voice and it just isn’t a style I enjoy. I think Billie Holiday belongs in this book but I would not have chosen this album.

So classic

Billie Holiday is the greatest jazz vocalist ever. The tragedy of her life story only adds to her legacy. Even though this is late in her career after her voice was losing it's edge, it's still amazing.

Deservedly in the list. A very sorrowful album of the great blues artist, I might prefer 'Lady Sings the Blues'. 8/10 [KEEP]

If I could give this negative stars I would

Okay

Beautiful music with soul touching vocs

Listening to this album made me sad. She was 43 or 44 when she recorded it, but her voice here is very rough and she sounds so tired. This is a recording of a brilliant talent at the end of her tragic life.

A bit dated, but you can hear the emotion in her voice. Will have to dig deeper into her earlier catalog.

Decent enough vocal jazz album. I can see how it was heralded back in the day, but Billie Holiday didn't sound like the all-time vocalist some praise her as. Not bad, and the music was alright.

I sound like a simpleton but i really dont enjoy this. Her voice is kinda eartha kitt catlike to an extreme that infuriates me. To me, this is just crawlingly slow (beautiful sure but very slow) strings with an annoying sort of grandmotherly vocal. Its nice and I suppose its likeable… I understand why people like her but this is not my favorite.

It’s good, not great

I know it's good, and she has an amazing voice, but it never quite does it for me.

Boring. Soulful, lovely voice - but a bit dull

My first real Billie Holiday Experience, and I loved it.

solid 2

me gusta sufrir en todos los lenguajes, y mas cuando billie holiday esta cantando. fave: glad to be unhappy

4/5

Too slow for me

Amazing voice but a lot of the same, good for chilled background music

>Jazz singer in the golden age >Dies of drugs and alcohol complications Every time. It's almost like a right of passage to be one of the greats

I'm starting to realize that vocal jazz may be a genre I struggle to connect with. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of it, but it's a matter of just "liking" some of the most sacrosanct music of all time. For me, there's kind of a pattern with it actually. I understand that the vocalist is incredibly talented and really enjoy the performance, but just can't really enjoy the songwriting which is rooted in a time and genre that I'm distant from (I'd like to note that Wild Is The Wind by Nina Simone is an exception, I adore that album and find it incredibly beautiful). I thought that maybe I could get a little closer on Lady In Satin: after all, I do like some of Billie Holiday's older recordings. For example, her recording of Strange Fruit is absolutely haunting and I can hear her vocal talent even on casual listens. But sure enough, I find Lady In satin to be a beautifully performed rendition of songs that I struggle with a little. Though, I will say, that the higher fidelity sound here grants her voice a really compelling, smokey quality. And the band here is enormous, and unbelievably tight. It's almost a bit too much sometimes, but it really is grand and beautiful. Check out I'm A Fool To Want You and go from there. It's one of my favorites, and if you *really* like it, then this whole thing will be right up your alley.

Jazzy

Nice enough but also dont have the patience for any for it

Just like Ella's album in terms of sound and lyrics. It's very same-y.

Billie with the velvet pipes! Lady crooner music and it hits so well, I can see myself drinking a scotch on the rocks at a 50's cocktail bar bummed out I cant solve a case and my lady left me. I've been playing L.A. Noire recently. My only gripe is I genuinely cant differentiate a lot of these songs from each other, they arent bad by any means, just very similar. Great wallowing music.

Billie H has a great voice and this album was a nice soothing listen. Despite every song sounding exactly the same and all seemingly flowing into each other, I still enjoyed it quite a bit

Good to see a Billie Holiday album on here. Pretty much the only album representation of pre-war music, along with Sinatra, Duke Ellington and that weird Dagmar Krause album. I don't think this is as good as Billie Holiday's older songs. The leaps in recording quality and her age kind of expose her shortcomings as a vocalist. Her voice sounds a lot better when softly spoken into a horn directly connected to Shellac. The songs don't really do much for me either and don't necessarily sound like they are hers.

An over-produced bar blues album of a great jazz singere.

Can’t hate on it, but won’t seek it out

Solid album from a music legend

A really soothing classic vocal jazz album. Great performances and very relaxing to sit and listen to. Could have used maybe one song with a little more standout energy for variety's sake, but overall a really great album. Top tracks: I'm a Fool to Want You, You Don't Know What Love Is, But Beautiful

Sometimes great music just doesnt resonates that much with you. This is one of those occasions for me.

for a noir soundtrack, 5/5. for other purposes it's just a little too slow for me.

The silky arrangements slide underneath her voice in a supportive way — never too obtrusive and just lively enough. Still, the overall feeling I get from the combined sounds is one of sadness and exhaustion. Holiday's heartache in satin, while not my favorite of hers, is something special.

Very pleasant listen

Meh. All the songs sound the same

Good music to bleed out in a snowbank to

eigentlich richtig schöne musik, etwas einseitig, schöne instrumentals aber ihre stimme ist leider anstrengend 💔

This might be the first classic vocal jazz album that I thoroughly enjoyed from this list. The first track, I’m a Fool to Want You, is delightful and it’s still as striking as the first time I heard it in a Chanel perfume ad. I don’t think this is her best song but it’s definitely her best album. The orchestral arrangements are phenomenal.

Beautiful vocals, sweeping strings, lovely music.

Beautiful, classic, instantly recognisable voice, very pleasant, most of the songs sound very similar to each other but i don't mind, kind of trancey in a way

I’m uncultured. Lovely voice. Monotonous.

i really struggle with this genre. like reallllllly. i knoe billie holliday is amazing in her realm so it gets a 3 because i am not an idiot lol

Nice album to sit inside with in the rain

Classic Billie Holiday songs. You get what you expect in this one.

I'm sorry, but this was outstandingly awful. I expected a lot more, in turn I got a lounge restaurant singer with the most boring instrumentation ever. I really, really, wanted to like it, especially as I know Holiday is an all time singer, but this was just not good or interesting enough. It's on me.

She's got some pupes and a story to tell

“Not quite my tempo” This like showtumes slowier vibe I think for the most part just drags. Spotify keeps scaring me making me think this is an over an hour album when really just 43 minutes but still really boring. I will admit I was playing cod in the background so they didn’t blend well together. The one exception I’ve found so far for slow show toon jazz vibe is in the wee small hours of the night which I really liked but this ain’t it chief!

This made me feel real emotions. “It’s easy to remember and so hard to forget.” Her voice feels like it transports you back in time

Ik vind dit eigenlijk wel een relaxte plaat vandaag. Ik heb het ook vies druk ondertussen. Het is allemaal wat veel van hetzelfde, maar ik kan het prima aan hebben staan. Doet een beetje denken aan oude films. Die zijn als je in de juiste gemoedstoestand bent ook tof om te kijken, terwijl je je op andere dagen kapot zou vervelen. Vandaag valt 'ie goed dus. Ik ga gek doen en een 4 geven. Het had op een andere dag ook een 2 kunnen zijn, want ze doet wel wat gekkig met die ietwat dunne stem van d'r.

Not my thing but the orchestra did sound incredible

She has a great voice but the songs all sound the same so you don’t get to hear her true range and voice talents.

Meshed together

Every song is pretty much the same. They all about heartbreak and love and I don’t really like her voice all that much.

this was only ok. maybe I expected more. all the tracks just blended together

Nice voice. Beautiful music.

There are some lovely and classic songs on this album, but I am not qualified to give it anything other than a 3.

I get it. Billie Holiday is a classic, and this album is too. I can overlook the shitty fucking orchestral backing (which apparently, our grandparents found quite enchanting), but man, her voice makes me want to claw at my ears; it constantly feels like she's on the verge of cracking. And the lyrics? Fuck me. I just don't care. 2.

I’ve always liked her voice but I’m ambivalent about the Sinatra-style orchestral treatment.

Highlights: Violets For Your Furs, But Beautiful. In a nutshell: "it's so easy to remember, and so hard to forget" I would love to hear a remastered edition of this album, because it was recorded in the "one mic only" era. Perhaps with limited takes? The strings are loud, the drums are soft. Billie is of course fantastic. I didn't get enough time to look into the album's recording background, so I'll come back to this. Overall: 5/10

Majestic!

unfortunately didnt liked her vocal. 3.0

Hasnt aged well, Billies voice sounds rough and I dont think it pairs with the style of music. But hey thats just me so 3 stars just because its Billie Holiday

I do like these 50's, gentle ballad, orchestral-backed albums. Especially in winter time. The backing music is lovely, with it's occasional flutters and swells. It's just a real nice, warm kind of album. As others say, it totally all blends into one, and it feels overlong, so loses marks as a result. 3.5 rounded down.

I really just don't love this kind of jazz. It's unfortunately mostly boring to me. The instrumentation is pleasant and the vocals are nice, but it does nothing to move me in the way intended. I don't hate it by any means, but I never find these albums all that impressive. If there is a highlight on this for me, it's Holliday's voice. Which is interesting, since it's not what you might call beautiful here. Instead of it being silky smooth (as the satin of the title implies), it's rough and weathered. She sounds like she's singing with age and experience on her side, mostly lamenting past loves, loss, and mistakes she's made. It works well with the overall softer feel and sad vibe of the album. That gets dulled a bit by the fact that these aren't her own songs, but just chosen for her to sing on the album. I always dock points for that since I think songwriting is important in evaluating an album's greatness. For an album of a music style I don't like, I found it fine. It was a pleasant listen if mostly bland to me. There was one spot with a bit of a trumpet solo that I perked up at since it brought a new element into the mix, but those moments were sparse. While there really wasn't anything bad on there, I just didn't get a lot from it. I don't see myself listening to it again. Overall: 2.6/5

Great vocals from a legend.

Good old school

Brilliant, amazing, incredible, show stopping

Good but I need to be in the mood.

pretty good stuff, not the best jazz stuff here but it’s definitely the longest

This is quite a slow album, pretty repetitive, but overall sounds nice for background listening. It is jazzy and calm, and given that it's from 1958, this was probably pretty nice back then as well.

2.5/5

Y’all can love your Billie Holday as much as you want, but she’s not for me. I think it’s the style and instrumentation that I dislike, maybe I simply missed her shining moment(s). Plenty of church ladies sing just as lovely.

Billie Holiday may have been a big name in her day. I'm sure this album was great back then. But I'm afraid those days are long gone. I don't like her singing style. On top of that, the strings and the settings are so saccharine that it physically hurt me to listen to it. I definitely won't be listening to it again. 1/5

Оркестровки з біг бендом - не мій супровід для вокального джазу. Хоч і все дуже розкішно та багато звучить. Але який у неї тут ламкий голос порівняно з більш ранніми записами. Мене це дуже розчулює. Ну і є діаманти як Glad to Be Unhappy 4.5

Легенда! Дуже м'який альбом для спокійного вечора вдома. 3.5

I’ve never listened to Billie Holiday before. I was surprised to learn that she is considered one of the best singers of all time. From reading the description on this album and seeing it was her last recordings before she died, I wanted to find out what she sounded like when she was younger. I went back and listened to he big hits. She sounds 95% the same. Wow, her style is bad in my opinion. It’s like someone who’s drunk and wants to talk/sing in roughly the same key, range, and tempo for every song she does. She can sing for sure, but I don’t like the style in which she does, and I don’t care for her voice in general. Literally if you listen to 1 song on this album, you’ve heard the entire range and style of Billie and the band on the entire album. It’s 11 tracks of the same song with different lyrics. This is pretty terrible if you like variety.

Lovely

It's what I expected. All the songs are basically the same. Not a cohesive jazz album with a story to tell. It get more emotion out of Nina Simone . Sorry, Billie.

I asked for kimono my house in my heart since yesterday was my first sparks concert. and let me tell you a fact: they are so goddamn fucking awesomely biblical (in the liam gallagher sense, which means “extremely awesome”). but you got me this. so, i have a conflicting attitude toward singer with non-pretty voices. i think bob dylan sucks. i hate leonard cohen. i like tom waits because his voice suits his music very much. and let me get it straight: i don’t like this, but the instrumentations is really pretty. 2.5/5

Not my preferred genre, and to be honest at first her voice didn’t appeal to me. But on second listen I started to appreciate the time she took to get the emotions across, and this album grew on me. Very talented song interpretation.

Incredible voice but this is boring

Every song is kind of the same

не, я не Шер, ай донт лав хим. тяжело с этим вокалом (

Billie has the voice of someone who has seen some shit. Soft and gentle, wry and raw.

No disrespect but pretty boring. Could see this being a banger for an old movie about love but just not my style.

Genuinely one of the goats oat of all time

i need to give it another listen but there are obviously things i appreciate! i just think few things ever hit....

Decent but not really my thing 3

Holiday sounds like she is fighting to get the sounds out. The contrast with the really delicate arrangement is striking. It’s a haunting performance.

Very enjoyable

There's no doubt that Billie Holiday's voice is one for the ages. I loved those trombone solos too. When I saw that J.J. Johnson was on this album I knew that this would be special. His tone was like none other. With all this, I didn't like the arrangements. All of those violins are from a bygone era.

so can’t Karl pack dance to all

Legendary 5/5

100% fallout vibes, nice vocals, nice music, very comfy

Her voice is so good.

Heard some of these songs from fallout

Sure

A very good performance, just none of it really stood out to me.

She has an enthralling voice, and this album is a much more reasonable length than Ella Fitzgerald's Gershwin songbook. The instrumentation feels simple, though.

this was so enjoyable to listen to and sounded so warm and smooth. I can’t tell if I like her vocal style a ton but it’s definitely impressive. I’m so grateful to be getting more jazz-influenced albums on here. My only complaint is that all of the songs kind of blend together a little too much and feel pretty similar. Fav songs: violets for your furs, glad to be unhappy

1+ Stars (3/15)

Sure they are all good songs in their own right. This felt like the worlds longest single

Amazing voice but it didn't blow me away.

I like this somewhat grizzled, older Billie, just as smooth and deeply emotive as ever.

4.5

3.5

I will have to say I much prefer *Lady Sings The Blues* to this one. One thing about this album that's a bit heartbreaking is her vocals which are already showing wear and tear from the drugs and the abuse. Though she does still have the capability of letting the emotion run through. I sometimes think the strings are a bit much I know she was trying to go for a more Frank Sinatra feel , but I think her vocal style really fits a more intimate jazz instrumentation setting . But she still pulls off a really beautiful set of songs. 8.4 ★★★★

Wonderful performances of really good songs. The strings get a bit syrupy. 4.5 stars

I thought this started off really good, but got a little samey and syrupy after a while. Like a lot of these 50s albums, it's very front-loaded. "I'm a Fool to Want You" was definitely the highlight, but "For Heaven's Sake" and "You Don't Know What Love Is" were also very good. 3.5 stars.

3.5

Bit gloopy like with the sameish syrupy orchestrations and not the best bunch of songs. I prefer Satin Doll or Nights In White Satin but this Lady In Satin is not too bad I guess.

Billie Holiday was a rare talent. Every song on this album is absolutely gorgeous. But - if I'm being honest - it's a little too much of the same. Torch songs are great, especially with a voice like Billie's, but for an album, there needs to be some contrast. You need some lights to make the darks pop. A little bit of orange to make the blue more intense. Every songs on the album is beautiful, but they're all roughly the same tempo and same sound, and that's why, in my opinion, the album as a whole falls short of absolute brilliance.

I am going to be absolutely honest here. I don't like her voice ... and every song sounds exactly the same!

Interesting

Not her greatest performance - elevated by Ray Ellis - I really would've thought Lady Sings the Blues would've been the Billie album

I've got a bit of a fun personal anecdote regarding this album. So, a few months ago as of writing this, I went to a senior residential area that was having a garage sale of sorts. I've actually been building up a CD collection that's mostly albums from this list and I wanted to see if I could find any favorites from the project. I kind of figured it would lean older in terms of what music was there, but it leaned even further than that. It was mostly old jazz and classical recordings. My main goal was to get as many albums from the 1001 albums list as possible, with at least one of them hopefully being one of my 5/5s. I was able to find 7 total albums from the list. 2 of which were ones I'd already given a 5, those being Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and Charles Mingus's The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. I found 4 other albums in there that I'd generated but had given scores lower than a 5. None that I disliked, but not on the level of the 5s. But then there was Lady in Satin. The one album I'd gotten that I knew was one the list but had not yet generated. I've had a CD of this album in my house for a few months now and today was finally the day that I busted it out and listened to the album. As it turns out, the album's pretty good! It's a very interesting album for reasons beyond that personal story. Apparently this album's kind of tragic in a way. This was the last album released in Billie Holiday's lifetime that she'd recorded, and you can kind of tell that she's nearing the end of her life somehow. Her voice performance here is... not quite shot, but kind of raspy, I guess? I think it mostly fits the vibe though. These aren't the happiest songs she's singing. I'm not the biggest fan of how it sounds, but I can respect her for going on like she did. I've got to give props to Ray Ellis's orchestra for their performances as well. The album does sound a little samey, but it sounds nice so I don't care. I guess that's kind of the one semi-major complaint I could levy against this album. It's definitely a 50s release, that's for sure. One of the better 50s releases of the list, but still a 50s release. There really aren't a ton of huge stand-out tracks, but nothing bad here either. It's a very consistent record, which is respectable. Overall, Lady in Satin is an album that one could look at in many ways. One could focus on the music and just say that it's okay. One could think more about the album's story and call it a tragic masterpiece. I'm kind of in the middle. I think it's great, but not quite in that masterpiece territory. 4/5.

Billie Holiday commands your attention and is one of the most expressive singers ever recorded.

Great singer.

Outstanding. I've always had a thing for her voice. No matter what Billie is singing about, you feel it. She is one of the best to ever do it.

Not a very memorable listen compared to her other stuff but I liked it

Billie Holiday's voice was so unique that I'm struggling to describe it. It was evocative and tender, sophisticated yet relatable. It's beautiful with a gritty undertone that makes it imperfect, which in turn of course makes it perfect. Her talents make it such a shame she died young. Lady in Satin as her last released album is a solid choice. The songs flow smoothly. The accompaniment provided is perfect: it's well orchestrated but demanding the attention that's rightfully on Holiday's voice. All in all, quite the serene listen.

My reviews will sound like more than a broken record at this point, but i am not a huge jazz fan. That said, the talents and presence of Billie Holiday are undeniable. Her unique, warbly, sultry voice is sublime, and there just isn't much else like it. And while yes, this is technically jazz, it's VOCAL jazz; it's a showcase of her one of a kind voice against a backdrop of generally jazz music. But the jazz stylings are so subtle; her voice is allowed to be the shining triumph of the album, as it should be! The last album released in her lifetime, it's a strong reminder of the fact that she was making beautiful music up until the end of her life, which was ultimately cut too short.

Solid, though it feels like she could have done so much more than love songs.

calming music to listen to

- ääni ja kasvot ei jostain syystä kohtaa - ihan kivaa entisajan jazzfiilistelyä - monet biisit kuulostaa aika samanlaisilta, tasapaksua - persoonallinen ääni ja ymmärrän miks hänest on varmasti tykätty, ei kyl itelle yhen kuuntelun jälkeen erityisesti potki

a bit boring

Appreciate the artist. Songs are a loiter dated and not for me.

Nice music

Billie Holiday...I love him (IYKYK) But seriously she has a beautiful voice, her lyrics are deep and the emotion she evokes is just wonderful. My bigger issue is the orchestra that backs her up. It is beautiful and wonderful but I think it almost makes the songs too much, too much emotion that it almost seems like a joke. I wish she just had a small band behind her so her voice was the only star and she wasn't battling with the orchestra for the spotlight.

First... the music. I don't really like it. I'm not a fan of big band orchestral "jazz". It's so old fashioned and beige. I hardly even call it jazz because it feels so watered down and over polished. Second.. her singing. It's fine but I don't feel like she's really singing about anything that her soul wants to sing about. Compare this to Nina Simone who sings with soul and feeling. I have to separate the art and the artist with this one. Total respect for who she was as an artist and her obstacles but my little stupid opinion of her music... nah. pass.

From the first note…lovely melancholy. I’m not a huge fan of Billie’s voice, especially here where at times you can hear her dry lips open and the air can be heard annoyingly entering her nose. Some people might call that “honest” or “real”, but to me it’s like nails on a chalkboard. She sounds weary and used up. She certainly lived a rough life, so truly it’s pure truth in music. Her voice aside, the instrumentation is unbelievably beautiful. Epic, vast, and yet as warm as a comfy blanket on a cold winter day.

This album feels like comfort food. It makes the world immediately feel more cozy and intimate. There's this beautiful orchestra backing her that feels both gentle and grand, while her vocals softly command every moment. Very lovely listening experience.

listen to this when making dinner on a cold night

enjoyed

I do love her work. 3.5 for this collection.

I do love her.

I have heard some Holiday songs before but don't know much. Hard to believe she was only 43 recording this, it is a voice of experience. How good it is, how reflective of her career, I have no idea really! But it drifts by pleasantly. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: Yes: 29/107 (27%) Will I get? No

I know why Billie Holiday was significant, but this isn't the sort of music I listen to for fun.

I love her, I spent the whole album reading about her life on Wikipedia and crying, RIP Billie

Billie Holiday is one of the great classic jazz singers and it's easy to see why. Her voice is so distinction and dominates the recordings. The music is (to me) fairly run of the mill 50s crooner stuff. Pleasant but not all that interesting. But no one is here for that, are they? The vocals are what matter. "Lady in Satin" is the final album released in Holiday's lifetime and age has blunted the edges of her voice. It's deeper, heavier and more worn by life experience. It's probably less representative of her abilities, but it tells a great story. I always wished that singers like Billie Holiday had lived longer to have set their talents against a more varied palate of music, but they were a product of their time. Try as they might, there really aren't many singers quite like this any more.

I liked it, not loved it

Not my normal choice of music but you could feel the emotion in billie Holiday’s voice. It was like being bathed in honey or being given a warm hug. Exceptional.

3.0

I know Billie is a legend. I get it. But at this particular moment, I am not in love with this trip into the past. This is not something to listen to while working. It's meant for a dark, cozy night.

Sounds like Christmas music, I dig it

With all due respect to her impeccable talent....no thank you.

Truly a must have album for any serious jazz collector and audiophile.