On July 17, 1959, Eleonora Fagan aka Billie Holiday, died aged 44. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday is one of the true jazz icons and one of the most influential singers of all time. Famous jazz critics Leonard Feather, said about her: “Billie Holiday’s voice was the living intensity of soul in the true sense of that greatly abused word. As a human being, she was sweet, sour, kind, mean, generous, profane, lovable and impossible, and nobody who knew her expects to see anyone quite like her again.”
Tag Archives: 1959
Ornette Coleman
On June 11, 2015, Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman, died aged 85. He was musician (saxophone, violin, trumpet), regarded as one of the most important and influential artists in the history of jazz music. Coleman was the major innovator of the free jazz movement in the 60’s, and invented the name “free jazz” with a name of his album. His third studio album from 1959, “The shape of the jazz to come” is regarded as one of the most important albums in the history of modern jazz.
Ray Charles: What’d I Say
On February 18, 1959, Ray Charles recorded the song “What’d I Say”. The recording was made in the late evening improvisation when Charles, his orchestra and backup singers had played their entire set list at a show. “Atlantic” label released the 7” single in July 1959 and it divided the song in two parts (A side and B side) with total length of 6:30 minutes. The song was produced by Jerry Wax. This was Ray Charles first gold record and it is one of the most influential songs in the history of modern music. In 2002 “What’d I say” was added to the “National Recording Registry” and ranked at number 10 in Rolling Stone ’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of all Time”.
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