Tuba Skinny Tracks: Billie Holiday

Posted by Benson

Billie Holiday is perhaps the most famous artist whose songs appear on the CD.  In fact, two of the songs on the CD were originally recorded by Billie Holiday: “Your Mother’s Son in Law” and “Farewell to Storyville.”

“Lady Day,” as Billie Holiday was often known, was incredibly famous in her day, and remains an almost mythic figure in the history of Jazz, much like the great Louis Armstrong.  It can also be said that Lady Day’s unique and oft emulated style had a significant impact on the trajectory of jazz in the 40s and 50s, a period in which the careers of many of the other artists we’ve discussed were winding down or even already over. 

Holiday had an amazing improvisational ability that complemented and enhanced the nature of the music.  She credited the inspiration for her style to role models Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith, and with it she reconstructed many traditional songs.  This was actually a necessity for Holiday, because she lacked formal musical training and her vocal range was little more than an octave.  The unique intonations of her voice and her emotional improvisations to the melody more than made up for what she lacked in her voice.  In this sense, Holiday’s singing was itself a truly jazz style that was always unique and transformative.

Holiday’s career was very long, and she worked her way from jazz quartets to string accompaniment, pop stardom, and eventually event full orchestral backup.  The two Lady Day songs on the CD were recorded by Holiday at two interesting points in her career, and very far away from each other.

“Mothers Son in Law” was recorded by Holiday with Benny Goodman in 1933.  Holiday was 18 at the time and had just been picked up by producer John Hammond.  The record was holiday’s debut recording, and at the time it only sold 300 copies.  However, she had also recorded “Riffin’ the Scotch” at the same time, which was a hit, selling more than 5,000 copies

Mother’s Son in Law

You don't have to have a hanker
To be a broker or a banker
No siree, just simply be
My mother's son-in-law.
Needn't even think of tryin'
To be a mighty social lion
Sipping tea, if you'll be
My mother's son-in-law,
Ain't got the least desire
To set the world on fire
Just wish you'd make it proper
To call my old man papa
You don't have to sing like Bledsoe
You can tell the world I said so
Can't you see you've got to be
My mother's son-in-law.

You don't have to sing like Jessel
You can tell the world I said so
Can't you see, you've got to be
My mother's son-in-law.

“Farewell to Storyville” was first recorded by Holiday 13 years later in 1946.  In the interim, Holiday had grown substantially in popularity.  Her career had recently taken a turn when she had convinced Milt Gabler of Decca Records to allow her to play with a string ensemble.  At the time, strings were associated with the big name acts such as Ella Fitzgerald.  The change marked a step up in the music industry, and it enabled her to present her voice in a different way.

In 1946 Holiday was slated to star in a musical called New Orleans alongside Louis Armstrong.  The film was fraught with difficulties, stemming in part from McCarthyism.  The script writer, Herbert Biberman, was listed as one of the Hollywood Ten and sent to jail, but not before Holiday’s role in the film was reduced to a jazz-singing maid.  “Farewell to Storyville” was one of the numbers written for the film, which explains its New Orleanian subject matter in spite of Holiday’s East Coast roots.  

Farewell to Storyville

All, you old-time queens, from New Orleans, who lived in Storyville
You sang the blues, try to amuse, here's how they pay the bill
The law step-in and call it sin to have a little fun
The police car has made a stop and Storyville is done
Pick out your steamboat, pick yourself a train
- a slo-ow train
Pick out your steamboat, pick yourself a train
- a slo-ow train
They made you close-up they'll never let you back
- won't let you back
Go buy your ticket or else you walk the track


No use complaining, blue sky's folow rain
- the cold-old rain
No use complaining, blue sky's folow rain
- the cold-old rain
Just say farewell now and get your one last thrill
- your one last thrill
Just say farewell now, farewell to Storyville

No use complaining, blue sky's folow rain
- the cold-old rain
Just say farewell now, farewell to Storyville

Just say farewell now and get your one last thrill
- your one last thrill
Just say farewell now, farewell to Storyville