25-10-2011, 17:07
![[Image: 31sA%2BDBbpTL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31sA%2BDBbpTL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Lavishly packaged 3-disc comp of Lady Day's mid-period releases from 1939 to 1950.
Most of the set runs from 1944, but Columbia wouldn't release Strange Fruit, so Commodore released it whilst she was still under contract Columbia.
These sides sound less hissy than the Columbia set, and the music is very strong. Fans argue endlessly over which era of Billie's recordings are the best, and I used to be firmly in the camp of the later Verve releases, but I think now that her classic material is mostly on this set, so I'm shifting...
Billie is marvellous.
AllMusic 5/5 stars.
"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture"
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