Billie Holiday Comparison

Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday were both prominent jazz singer-songwriters during the same time and masters in their own right, but their worlds could not have been further apart. In 1939, while they were both in the midst of experiencing mainstream success, Ella was touring with Ella and her Famous Orchestra and showcasing her perfect pitch and tone to the world while singing songs that would soon become standards to fellow singers and musicians. Billie was singing solo, comfortable with her limited range, and gaining the adoration of audiences nationwide who loved her soulful voice. Both of these historic singers made contributions to the art of jazz, with vocalists and instrumentalists still using elements of their style today. Ella

This tune became a jazz standard due to its slow harmonic progression that sounds like blues, and Billie’s recording in 1936 is a true example of just that. The low, crawling music begins and drags on, while Billie begins to croon in a completely soulful way. What we see come from Billie in this is complete sincerity in the form of music, and she popularized this song and led it to become number twelve in the U.S. pop charts, further cementing her stardom. Ella recorded her version some time later in 1958, on her and Louis Armstrong’s Porgy and Bess. Again, Ella sings with clear dictation and is able to express her three octave vocal range freely. Her version does not invoke as much gut-wrenching emotion as Billie’s does, nor does it explicitly stick to the pure blues style, but it conveys the story and message as the lullaby that it is. With both Ella and Billie recording their renditions of this opera piece, interest in the opera and with jazz music has continued on. A third and final tune that both Ella and Billie performed is “Willow Weep for Me,” with Ella recording it in 1960 on Hello, Love and Billie recording it in 1956 on Lady Sings the Blues. In Ella’s rendition, she again expertly exercises her range, going from highs to lows easily, and still keeping the tempo slow. This song is actually an impressive piece of work for Billie, who utilizes her vocals to the best of her ability, and is able to thoroughly embody the