Velvet Mood: Songs by Billie Holiday is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday, released in 1956 on Clef Records.[1] The music was recorded over the course of two sessions in Los Angeles, two days apart, which also resulted in all the material for her previous album Music for Torching (MG C-669).[2]

Velvet Mood
Studio album by
Released1956
RecordedAugust 23 & 25, 1955
StudioLos Angeles, CA
GenreJazz, swing
Length37:41
LabelClef MG C-713 (Verve MG V-8096)
ProducerNorman Granz
Billie Holiday chronology
Music for Torching
(1955)
Velvet Mood
(1956)
The Lady Sings
(1956)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]

Track listing

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Side one

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  1. "Prelude to a Kiss" (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Irving Gordon) - 5:37
  2. "When Your Lover Has Gone" (Einar Aaron Swan) - 4:58
  3. "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" (Sam H. Stept, Sidney Clare, Bee Palmer) - 4:23
  4. "Nice Work If You Can Get It" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 3:48

Side two

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  1. "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) - 5:55
  2. "What's New?" (Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke) – 4:20
  3. "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" (Ray Noble) – 4:05
  4. "Everything I Have Is Yours" (Burton Lane, Harold Adamson) – 4:33

Personnel

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Billie Holiday - Vocals

Benny Carter - Alto saxophone

Harry "Sweets" Edison - Trumpet

Jimmy Rowles - Piano, celesta on "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "Everything I Have Is Yours", and "What's New?"

Barney Kessel - Guitar

John Simmons - Bass

Larry Bunker - Drums

Alex de Paula - Artwork

References

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  1. ^ Velvet Mood at the Jazz Discography Project, accessed Mar 24, 2020
  2. ^ Sessions of August 1955 in session index for Billie Holiday at the Jazz Discography Project, accessed Mar 24, 2020
  3. ^ Velvet Mood at Allmusic
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958 – via Google Books.