Last Recording (Original as Billie Holiday)

“Last Recording”, originally titled Billie Holiday before her death, is the last album of Billie Holiday released in 1959, just after her most acclaimed release “Lady In Satin”. During the time of recording Billie Holiday, Holiday’s health was taking its toll. Some say that she did not look like herself at all, and looked like a ghost of what she once was.

By 1959, use of hard drugs and alcohol had taken their toll on Holiday’s voice, the receive by music critiques was negative, and the album wasn’t popular but it still a mesmerizing listening.
It was a departure from the stylings of her more string laden previous album, making use of a lighter string orchestra, minus the choir, and more horns, including a saxophone and a more jazz like feeling. It also demanded less fanfare. Songs like “All of You”, “‘Deed I Do”, and “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home” have a lighter and happier tempo and do not include strings.