''Last Recording'' (

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

, 1959) is the final album

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

recorded. It was originally released during Holiday's lifetime with the title ''Billie Holiday'', and was retitled after her death. It is not to be confused with the 1954

Clef Records Clef Records was an American jazz record label founded by Norman Granz in 1946. It became part of Verve Records, which Granz created in 1956. Clef recordings were, in the mid 1950s, licensed to Columbia (UK), which issued 78rpm discs with a speci ...

album titled ''

''.

Content

After the success of her album, '' Lady in Satin'' (1958), Billie Holiday wanted to record another album with arranger

Ray Ellis Ray Ellis (July 28, 1923 – October 27, 2008) was an American record producer, arranger, conductor, and saxophonist. He was responsible for the orchestration in Billie Holiday's '' Lady in Satin'' (1958). Biography Raymond Spencer Elli ...

. Ellis had switched from Columbia to

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, so Billie switched labels also to avoid breaching her contract with Columbia. When she returned to the studio in March 1959, jazz critic and friend of Holiday's

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

, said Holiday "walked into the studio statuesque and sharp as ever." When Holiday recorded her previous album ''Lady in Satin'' with Ellis, she conveyed to him her desire to “sound like Sinatra”, but at the time was in such poor health from years of difficulty and substance abuse that a nurse sometimes had to help keep her propped up on a high stool as she sang. ''Billie Holiday'' was a departure from the stylings of her more string laden previous album, making use of a lighter string orchestra, minus the choir, and more horns, including a saxophone and a more jazz like feeling. It also demanded less fanfare. Songs like "All of You", "'Deed I Do", and "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" have a lighter and happier tempo and do not include strings. During the time of recording ''Billie Holiday'', Holiday's health was taking its toll. Some say that she did not look like herself at all, and looked like a ghost of what she once was. In the song "There'll Be Some Changes Made", Holiday replaces the name Jack Benny in the lyric ''"Even Jack Benny has been changin' his jokes"'' to Frank Sinatra, her jazz friend. The album was completed on March 11, 1959. Four days later, Billie Holiday's lifelong friend and music partner

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

died on March 15, 1959. She would die four months later on July 17, 1959, at the age of 44.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

music critic Ron Wynn stated, "In many ways, a sad event... It's poignant in a tragic way." ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' awarded the album three stars, but placed the entire rating in brackets, indicating that the authors had reservations about the album as a whole.

Voice

By 1959, use of hard drugs and alcohol had taken their toll on Holiday's voice. It is evident that her voice had deteriorated since her previous album ''Lady in Satin''. Producer and arranger

said that the producers "accidentally" adjusted the speed at 1/4 pitch faster in the studio making Holiday's voice high pitched in some songs like "You Took Advantage of Me".

Track listing

# " All of You" ''from

Silk Stockings ''Silk Stockings'' is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story ''Ninotchka'' and the 1939 film adaptation it ...

'' - (

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

) -2:30 # " Sometimes I'm Happy" ''from Hit the Deck'' - ( Irving Caesar, Clifford Gray,

Vincent Youmans Vincent Millie Youmans (September 27, 1898 – April 5, 1946) was an American Broadway composer and producer. A leading Broadway composer of his day, Youmans collaborated with virtually all the greatest lyricists on Broadway: Ira Gershwin, ...

) -2:46 # " You Took Advantage of Me" ''from Present Arms'' - ( Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 2:46 # " When It's Sleepy Time Down South" ''from Safe in Hell'' - ( Leon René,

Otis René Otis Joseph René Jr. was an American songwriter and record label owner. As a songwriter, he is notable as the co-author of "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", which became a signature song for Louis Armstrong. Biography Otis René was born in Ne ...

Clarence Muse Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a major studio film, 1929's '' Hearts in Dixie''. ...

) - 4:04 # " There'll Be Some Changes Made" - (W. Benton Overstreet, Billy Higgins) - 2:52 # " 'Deed I Do" - (Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose) - 2:14 # " Don't Worry 'bout Me" - (

Ted Koehler Ted L. Koehler (July 14, 1894 – January 17, 1973) was an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. Life and career Koehler was born in 1894 in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver, but ...

Rube Bloom Reuben Bloom (April 24, 1902 – March 30, 1976) was an American songwriter, pianist, arranger, band leader, recording artist, vocalist, and author. Life and career Bloom was born and died in New York City. He was Jewish. During his career, he w ...

) - 3:08 # " All the Way" ''from The Joker Is Wild'' - (

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

Jimmy Van Heusen James Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock; January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American composer. He wrote songs for films, television, and theater, and won an Emmy and four Academy Award for Best Original Song, Academy Awards for ...

) - 3:22 # "Just One More Chance" - (

Sam Coslow Sam Coslow (December 27, 1902 – April 2, 1982) was an American songwriter, singer, film producer, publisher and market analyst. Coslow was born in New York City. He began writing songs as a teenager. He contributed songs to Broadway revues, ...

, Arthur Johnston) - 3:43 # " It's Not for Me to Say" - (

Al Stillman Al Stillman ''(né'' Albert Irving Silverman; 26 June 1901 Manhattan, New York City, New York – 17 February 1979 Manhattan, New York City, New York) was an American lyricist. Biography Al Stillman was born as Albert Irving Silverman to American ...

, Robert Allen) - 2:25 # " I'll Never Smile Again" - ( Ruth Lowe) - 3:23 # "

Baby Won't You Please Come Home "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" is a blues song written by Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams in 1919. The song's authorship is disputed; Warfield claims that he was the sole composer of the song. The song has been covered by many musicia ...

" - (Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams) - 3:03

Personnel

- vocals *

- arranger & conductor *

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard back ...

- trumpet * Joe Wilder - trumpet * Billy Byers - trombone *

Tommy Mitchell Thomas Bignall Mitchell (4 September 1902 – 27 January 1996) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1928 and 1939. A leg spin bowler, he was the most successful slow bowler in the history of a county better ...

- bass trombone * Gene Quill - alto saxophone *

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

- tenor saxophone * Danny Bank - baritone saxophone *

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians have described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts h ...

- piano * Barry Galbraith - guitar *

Milt Hinton Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer. Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...

- bass * Osie Johnson - drums

References

{{Authority control 1959 albums Billie Holiday albums MGM Records albums Albums arranged by Ray Ellis Albums produced by Ray Ellis Albums published posthumously Verve Records albums