Billie Holiday

This is a bit of a random post, but I've just been thinking about this over the last day or so. . . so I thought I'd share my thoughts.

When the subject of female jazz vocalists comes up, there are inevitably three names that will be discussed: Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. These three women are legendary in their field. Sarah's voice has the tone qualtiy and the technique of a highly trained singer. She easily has a range to match any operatic diva. Ella was a master of improvisation and scat. Her tone quality was impeccable, and the happiness that came through in her voice would make anyone just want to smile for no apparent reason. Then there's Billie. Billie had the tone of a singer who smoked too many cigarettes, drank too much whiskey and did too many drugs. Her range barely broke an octave on a good day. So why is she legendary? What is so unforgettable about Billie Holiday?
First of all, in my humble opinion, Billie never should be classified as a jazz singer, although she did perform many jazz standards. But Billie is unforgettable when she sang the blues. The thing that separates Billie from every other singer in her field is the innate saddness in her voice. When she sang a sad song, you knew that she felt it. You knew she felt it to the point where it became her reality. She lived the song. She was the song. And that is what makes Billie Holiday a real singer. She never had the luxury of training like some do. She never had the natural ability of others. But she bypassed all the superficiality of the perfectly groomed tone and style, and she clung to the authenticity of singing as a means of personal expression and as a way to somehow connect yourself with other people. That, I believe, is what any form of art is about at its most basic level. Its just one person trying to connect with others the best way the know how. Be it singing or painting or writing or sculpting or composing symphonies, it all boils down to reaching outside of ourselves and connecting with others. Billie was a master at that. Anyone who has ever heard her sing "Strange Fruit" would be unable to deny her gift (and by the way, if you haven't heard her sing "Strange Fruit" run to the nearest Borders/Best Buy/online cd seller/or whatever and buy a recording of it immediately). That song alone is enough to make her a legend.