Billy
Jeff and I were playing rummi this evening and listening to one of his Billy Holiday albums. At the end is a 15-20 minute exerpt from a rehearsal. During the entire rehearsal, the piano player is trying to get Billy to sing the end of "God Bless the Child" his way. The closing lyric, "he's got his own" was under debate. Billy, drunk and belligerent, was insisting on singing the pitches "5, 9, 5, 9-8" but the pianist wanted her to sing it "5, 7, 8, 6". (This likely makes sense to few, if none, of you. Twenty minutes later, after calling him a "son-of-a-bitch" and (apparently) leaving the room for a minute, came back and sang the closing lyric once more. Wouldn't you know it, but she sang "5, 7, 8, 6". The rehearsal ended with friendly laughing.
It's awesome to see such an amazing jazz legend concede that her way wasn't her favorite after all. I need to go back and listen to the final cut again and see what she ended up recording. Billy Holiday was such a character.
It's awesome to see such an amazing jazz legend concede that her way wasn't her favorite after all. I need to go back and listen to the final cut again and see what she ended up recording. Billy Holiday was such a character.