| ...you will want this. If this is indeed complete, then there is not much footage of Billie Holiday actually performing live. What does exist is wonderful, the "Stars on Jazz" is priceless. Some of the clips are soundies, that is, the musicians are fake-playing to a prerecorded track. They were the true precursors of MTV-type video clips, and show Billie at the early stages of her career. Two of the tracks are from the movie "New Orleans" (and also lip-synced). And for some reason, there are two clips by Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong that do not contain Billie. Think of them as bonus tracks. There is are also 5 audio-only live performances, and a Mike Wallace radio interview with Billie, a great discography and photo slide show. The kicker is an audio-only rehearsal with pianist and drummer, working out the arrangement for "Jeepers Creepers", with Billie's salty language as she jives with the players. The dvd also comes with a classy and informative booklet which covers all the details. They did a nice job on this release. |
Billie Holiday - Ultimate Collection dvd movie.