The Collection

For anyone who missed any of the three original Billie Holiday Collections on Legacy, this box, which contains 54 cuts on three discs covering the years 1935 through 1939, compiles those three volumes handily. Many hits from the singer's prime are here — even though the cover photo isn't necessarily representative. The only problem is that, soon after this was issued, Sony released a fourth volume in the series covering the end of 1939 up to the beginning of 1944, and on it were some of her greatest sides, including "Gloomy Sunday," "God Bless the Child," and "Body and Soul." Still, her original versions of tunes such as "Summertime," "Swing Brother, Swing," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Night and Day," and "I Can't Get Started" are all here along with dozens more. For the casual listener, one who came to Billie Holiday's music via the records of her many admirers, this might be a good investment because of its budget price; yet, more than likely, a single disc best-of on Columbia might better serve your needs until you're ready for an undertaking like this one.