Although having a limited range, Billie Holiday, brings songs alive with her extraordinary love for the lyrics. Billie has a beautiful voice and puts all herself into it. Additionally not a single recording of hers is the same, which makes this CD an excellent choice for it shows all her different styles and versions for the same song.

There are two versions of “Baby I Don’t Cry Over You” contained within this album. The original recording of this is in a slow, rather somber mood. The piano is light and harmonic. She sings as if she’s more than upset over a man yet is trying her best to get over. The song seems almost bluesy especially with the piano and guitar solos near the end of the song. The second version, which was previously unreleased, has Billie Holiday sounding as if she didn’t even care about the man in the first place and that she is on top. It is more upbeat and punctuated. Also the bolo solos in this are just as bluesy but with a more syncopated rhythm.

“Deep Song” has a very somber, dissonant harmony that Billie Holiday seems to be trying to pull herself out of without success. The tonality of it leans more towards the bass and deeper instruments.
“That Ole Devil Called Love” has a major sounding accompaniment and harmony. However, Holiday keeps touching upon minor modes within the piece.

“You Better Go Now” doesn’t seem to capture Billie as much as the other songs do. She does perform it well, but not with as much enthusiasm as other tracks. The melody that she put to it also seems out of place and disjointed from the song.

“There Is No Greater Love” starts off with a muted trumpet solo followed by several call and responses between Billie Holiday and the muted trumpet.

“Big Stuff” has four different versions on this CD, one of them previously unreleased. Although not the same two versions have a similar style. She seems to be attempting to follow the harmony and the sway of the strings. In another version she’s much more punctuated syncopated with a harmony that brushes upon the harmony. The previously unreleased version is a mixture of the two. Billie, in this version, follows the harmony more however with breaking herself away from the string section. By far it is the most interesting.

Holiday is in the grove with “The Blues Are Brewin’.” She sings it in an upbeat, staccato manner. There’s a deep tenor saxophone solo that makes brings out the mood towards the end.