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 a significant contribution to jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly influenced by jazz instrumentalists, inspired a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.

Lady Sings the Blues is an album by American jazz vocalist Billie Holiday released in December 1956. It was Holiday's last album released on Clef Records; the following year, the label would be absorbed by Verve Records. Lady Sings the Blues was taken from sessions taped during 1954 and 1956. It was released simultaneously with her ghostwritten autobiography of the same name.

Body and Soul is a studio album by jazz singer Billie Holiday, released in 1957.

The Sound of Jazz brought together 32 leading musicians - a Who's Who of the swing era - including Count Basie, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Billie Holiday, Jo Jones and Coleman Hawkins; the Chicago style players of the same era, like Henry "Red" Allen, Vic Dickenson, and Pee Wee Russell; and younger 'modernist' musicians such as Gerry Mulligan, Thelonious Monk, and Jimmy Giuffre. These players played separately with their compatriots, but also joined to combine various styles in one group, such as Red Allen's group and the group backing Billie Holiday on "Fine and Mellow". This program was originally presented by "The Seven Lively Arts" on December 8, 1957 over CBS Television Sunday. This session is different music from the broadcast, as it was recorded for release by Columbia Records.

"Lady In Satin" is Billie Holiday’s penultimate masterpiece. The 1958 gem is one of her finest achievements and a full display of her immortal vocal abilities. It is one of jazz’s bestselling albums and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. This Centennial Edition features a set of extensive liner notes, plus two bonus discs covering the complete Lady In Satin sesseions. The recordings were transferred from the original three-track tapes to a hi-res Pro Tools file by Vic Anesini, and remixed and remastered in 24-bit audio by Maria Triana at Battery Studios, NYC. Absolutely essential.

This live concert album, recorded at two packed shows at Carnegie Hall in November 1956, contains the biographical narration that accompanied the music during the concerts, recited by Gilbert Millstein of The New York Times. Billie Holiday is backed by the Chico Hamilton Quintet featuring guitarist Kenny Burrell and two horn sections including Coleman Hawkins and Al Cohn on tenor sax and Roy Eldridge and Buck Clayton on trumpet.

The title track is one of the most recorded jazz songs in history and Billie Holiday's interpretation on this 1957 release is arguably considered one of the best, if not the definitive version. Producer Norman Granz brings out the best of her voice on this album from late in her career, accompanied by a superb band that includes Ben Webster on tenor sax.

Renowned Canadian multi-genre chanteuse Molly Johnson sixth studio album, "Because Of Billie", is a tribute to Billie Holiday. Recorded in Toronto with producers John Bailey and Mike Downes, Johnson wanted to infuse Because Of Billie with her idol’s spirit, preparing the songs emotionally and technically so many could be recorded in one take. Billie Holiday’s journey inspires Johnson not only as an artist, but as a model citizen. “Billie and her generation were the civil rights movement,” Johnson notes. “Her generation sacrificed for my privilege and I am honour-bound to them. I love history. I love to look back while pushing forward”.

This Billie Holiday album was recorded in March 1959 and released four months later, in July 1959, the same month Holiday died; after her death the album was renamed "Last Recording". Al Cohn on tenor sax and Milt Hinton on bass are among the several notable session musicians in Ray Ellis's Orchestra which provides horn-driven accompaniment on most of this material.

A live album from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, this album combines individual performances recorded at separate shows two days apart from two of the most popular female singers of the era. Billie Holiday is backed by Mal Waldron on piano, Joe Benjamin on double bass and drummer Jo Jones; Ella Fitzgerald's band includes Don Abney on piano, Wendell Marshall on double bass and Jones again on drums.

This 1956 album of standards from Billie Holiday has long been out of print, despite receiving a five star review in DownBeat magazine when released. Holiday was always very demanding about the quality of her musicians and this session was no exception; she is backed by a superb sextet that features Benny Carter on alto sax, Harry “Sweets” Edison on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar and Larry Bunker on drums.

This was Billie Holiday's penultimate album, recorded when her body was telling her enough was enough. During the sessions with arranger Ray Ellis she was drinking vodka neat, as if it were tap water. Despite her ravaged voice (the sweetness had long gone), she was still an incredible singer. The feeling and tension she manages to put into almost every track set this album as one of her finest achievements. "You've Changed" and "I Get Along Without You Very Well" are high art performances from the singer who saw life from the bottom up.

Recorded in 1956 and 1957, All Or Nothing At All was one of Billie Holiday's last releases before her death in 1959. A collection of jazz and pop standards by the Gershwins, Irving Berlin and Duke Ellington, among others, the album was produced by legendary producer Norman Granz. Holiday runs the emotional gamut from summery optimism (Love Is Here To Stay) to pathos-rich musings (Ill Wind) backed by a strong studio lineup of veterans including Red Mitchell on bass and Ben Webster on tenor saxophone.

"Lady In Satin" is Billie Holiday’s penultimate masterpiece. The 1958 gem is one of her finest achievements and a full display of her immortal vocal abilities. Joined by the Ray Ellis Orchestra, Holiday dazzles on tunes including “For Heaven's Sake”, “You Don't Know What Love Is” and “I'm A Fool To Want You”. The album is one of Holiday’s personal favorites and an emotional listen from start to finish. It is one of jazz’s bestselling albums and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. Absolutely essential.

Most of the songs on this session were originally released on 10-inch vinyl in 1952 under the title "Billie Holiday Sings"; four additional tunes were added to this 1956 LP version, now renamed "Solitude". Holiday is backed by some impressive musicians including Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on double bass, Barney Kessel on guitar and drummer Alvin Stoller on these standards, among them "Blue Moon" and "I Only Have Eyes For You".