Eleanora Fagan (1915–1959): To Billie with Love From Dee Dee Bridgewater is a 2009 studio album by Dee Dee Bridgewater, recorded in tribute to Billie Holiday.[1] It won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, Bridgewater's third Grammy win in her career. Bridgewater had previously starred in Lady Day in the late 1980s, a biographical play about Holiday.
Reception
Billboard's Gail Mitchell stated, "Bridgewater digs beneath the darkness and pain associated with Holiday's music, delivering a joyful take on—and deeper respect for—her predecessor's strengths as a vocalist and songwriter."[2]John Fordham of The Guardian wrote, "This album, also featuring Holiday's repertoire, suggests a more contemporary feel, helped by terrific performances from saxophonist James Carter and bassist Christian McBride."[4]Jeff Tamarkin in his review for AllMusic commented, "Carter's brooding bass clarinet and McBride's bass lend a foreboding quality to the take, Nash relies heavily on his cymbals to dramatic effect, and Gomez's piano is subtle, allowing the nakedness of Bridgewater's voice—at times unaccompanied—to retell this story that can never be told enough. It's a stunning finale to one of the finest Billie Holiday homages ever recorded."[1]The Buffalo News review by Jeff Simon stated, "The good news is the Billie Holiday repertoire and guest musicians that include Lewis Nash, Christian McBride and, best of all, saxophonist James Carter. The bad news is everything else. As jazz singers go, Dee Dee Bridgewater has almost nothing whatsoever in common with Billie Holiday other than the reverence that is every jazz singer's birthright."[3]
