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".

One of the finest guitarists to emerge after the death of Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel was a reliable bop soloist throughout his career. He played with a big band fronted by Chico Marx (1943), was fortunate enough to appear in the classic jazz short Jammin' the Blues (1944), and then worked with the big bands of Charlie Barnet (1944-1945) and Artie Shaw (1945); he also recorded with Shaw's Gramercy Five. Kessel became a busy studio musician in Los Angeles, but was always in demand for jazz records. From the mid-40s until the early 90s he was one of the most in-demand guitarists in jazz.

A delicate and deeply felt collection of recordings, originally released to coincide with the publication of Billie’s autobiography in 1956. In the years since the album title has been appropriated on a number of Billie Holiday collections, but the original album has never been on CD until 2007.

This vintage live album from Brazilian-born guitar player Baden Powell was recorded at the Philharmonie in Berlin in November 1967. Powell and his trio members are joined by guitarists Buddy Guy, Barney Kessel, Elmer Snowden and Jim Hall on these performances of Jazz and Brazilian standards.

This 1959 six disc set from Ella Fitzgerald is the largest and most ambitious in her celebrated Song Book series, consisting of her interpretations of 59 Gershwin tunes, including her Grammy-winning version of But Not For Me. The album also marks Fitzgerald's first collaboration with arranger Nelson Riddle, a partnership that would yield further recordings in the 1960s.

Entitled "Recital", this disc compiles numbers from 1952 and 1954 which were recorded with various accompanists. The musicians themselves kept a low profile out of respect for Billie Holiday; even Oscar Peterson shows himself to be a sensitive accompanist, while Paul Quinichette demonstrates that he is a very capable replacement for Lester Young. In this repertoire taken from musical and songbooks from 1921 to 1935, “Lady Day” manages to convey her personality and life story – even in the softest of songs.

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.

Things sure were swingin' on this 1959 Capitol album, one of Peggy's finest and most overlooked jazz outings. Accompanied by an all-star tentet that featured Pete Candoli, Barney Kessel and Shelly Manne among its members, she tackled originals and great standards including "It's a Wonderful World"; "Ridin' High"; "I'm Beginning to See the Light"; "Alone Together", and more.

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.

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.

Long considered a jewel in Verve Records' very impressive crown, Fitzgerald's songbook collections of various composers–a series that was started by the success of this set–are all wonderful, but her natural wit and intelligence was at its most perfect with Cole Porter's erudite, urbane songs. While not as scat-oriented as her small group outings, these Porter sets offer her most realized pop performances. Also, the gold remastering does a fine job of bringing out the nuances in the arrangements, making this a treasure for the serious collector and the casual listener alike. A true American music gem.