Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Billie Holiday - Body And Soul (Verve Records 1957)


"Body and Soul" is a popular jazz song featured on Billie Holidays album with the same title. "Body and Soul" was written in New York City for the British actress and singer Gertrude Lawrence. It was first performed in London by her. It was first published in England. Libby Holman introduced it in the U.S. in the 1930 Broadway revue Three's a Crowd. Louis Armstrong was the first jazz musician to record "Body and Soul". The tune grew quickly in popularity, and by the end of 1930 at least eleven groups had recorded it. "Body and Soul" remains a jazz standard, with hundreds of versions performed and recorded by dozens of artists. 

Billie's accompanied by Ben Webster (Tenor Sax); Barney Kessel (Guitar); Harry "Sweets" Edison (Trumpet); Jimmy Rowles (Piano); Red Mitchell (Bass); and Larry Bunker (Drums). Recorded January 7th, 1957 (20507-1). 

Tony Bennett recorded the classic pop standard Body And Soul, with Amy Winehouse at Abbey Road Studios in London March, 2011. The duet proceeds will be donated to her charity "The Amy Winehouse Foundation."

One of the most famous and influential takes was recorded by Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra on October 11, 1939, at their only recording session for Bluebird, a subsidiary of RCA Victor. The recording is unusual in that the song's melody is only hinted at in the recording; Hawkins' two-choruses of improvisation over the tune's chord progression constitute almost the entire take. Because of this, as well as the imaginative use of harmony and break from traditional swing cliches, the recording is recognised as part of the "early tremors of bebop". In 2004, the Library of Congress entered it into the National Recording Registry

To this day, "Body and Soul" is the most recorded jazz standard.

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