Billie Holiday - God Bless The Child Best Of Billie Holiday

Review by Chris Ball

Billie Holiday’s “God Bless The Child: Best Of” – A Timeless Ride Through Jazz and Soul If you’re looking for an album that feels like sitting in a smoky Parisian café at 3 AM, this is it. Billie Holiday’s God Bless The Child: Best Of, compiled by José James (yeah, that José James), hits all the right notes—literally. Released in 2015 on Verve Records, this collection pulls together some of Lady Day’s most iconic tracks from her legendary career. It’s vocal jazz gold, straight outta Europe. Now, let me get one thing clear—I’m no music critic with fancy words or a clipboard. But when I hear something that makes my chest tighten and my brain go quiet, I know it’s special. And this album? Oh man, it does that over and over again. Let’s talk about two tracks that stick with me long after the needle lifts off the record. First up: “Strange Fruit.” You’ve probably heard of it—it’s not exactly background music for your morning toast. This song punches you in the gut without even trying. Billie’s voice here isn’t just singing; it’s testifying, telling stories older than time itself. Every word lands heavy, like raindrops on dry earth. When she sings about "black bodies swinging," it’s impossible not to feel the weight of history pressing down. Honestly, I can’t listen to this track more than once in a sitting—it’s too much. Too real. Too raw. But maybe that’s the point. Then there’s “What a Little Moonlight Can Do.” If “Strange Fruit” is the storm, this one’s the calm before it. It’s playful, flirty, almost mischievous. Billie’s phrasing here is so smooth, it’s like she’s whispering secrets into your ear while sipping champagne. There’s a wink in her delivery that reminds you she wasn’t just a tragic figure—she was also a woman who knew how to have fun. The way she stretches out “moon-light” gives me goosebumps every single time. Like, how does someone make such simple lyrics sound so… alive? The rest of the album is stacked too—“Autumn in New York,” “Stormy Weather,” “God Bless the Child”—all classics that show why Billie’s still worshipped today. Her voice cracks, bends, and breaks in ways that are technically imperfect but emotionally perfect. She doesn’t need autotune or filters because her imperfections ARE the magic. José James did a killer job curating this playlist-like compilation. He didn’t mess around—he picked songs that highlight both her heartbreak and her sass, her pain and her joy. Listening to this album feels like flipping through an old photo album where each snapshot tells its own story. Here’s the kicker though—and maybe I’m reading too much into it—but this record kinda feels like a love letter to resilience. Billie lived hard, loved harder, and left behind a legacy that refuses to fade. In 2015, decades after her death, we’re still talking about her. Still playing her records. Still feeling her pain and her triumphs as if they were our own. So yeah, if you haven’t spun God Bless The Child: Best Of yet, what are you waiting for? Just don’t blame me if you end up staring out the window thinking deep thoughts about life. Or crying. Or dancing. Or all three at once.

Download Billie Holiday - God Bless The Child Best Of Billie Holiday

Artist: Billie Holiday
Album: God Bless The Child Best Of Billie Holiday

Europe

1969

Rating: 3.33

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
He's Funny That Way
I Don't Want to Cry Anymore	03:55
I Don't Want to Cry Anymore
Stars Fell on Alabama
God Bless the Child	04:00
These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)	03:38
Come Rain or Come Shine
He's Funny That Way	03:12
Yesterday	02:50
My Man
These Foolish Things (Remind me of You)
What a Little Moonlight Can Do
Stormy Weather
Prelude to a Kiss
Tenderly
Glod Bless the Child
Strange Fruit
Yesterdays
Autumn in New York

Video

Billie Holiday: Stars Fell On Alabama (1957)

Images

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Catalog Numbers

00600753571552

Labels

Verve Records

Listen online

ouvir online
online anhören
lyssna på nätet
escuchar en línea
écouter en ligne
online luisteren
ascolta in linea
kuunnella verkossa
lytte på nettet

Formats

CD
Compilation

Companies

Role	Company
Phonographic Copyright (p)	Universal Classics & Jazz
Copyright (c)	Universal Classics & Jazz
Made By	EDC, Germany

Credits

Role	Credit
Compiled By	José James

Notes

Issued in a jewel case with a 6-panel leaflet.

Barcodes

Barcode: 00600753571552
Label Code: LC 00699
Rights Society: BIEM/SDRM
Matrix / Runout: [Universal logo x4] 06007 535 715-5 01 + 53701386 MADE IN GERMANY BY EDC A
Mastering SID Code: IFPI LV27
Mould SID Code: IFPI 0139

Interesting fact about Album

Here’s something cool: The album *God Bless The Child: Best Of Billie Holiday* is a tribute to one of jazz's greatest voices. It came out in 2015, but the tracks are timeless classics. What makes it special? José James, a modern jazz singer, helped compile it. So, it’s like a bridge between old-school jazz and today’s music lovers. Tracks like "Strange Fruit" and "God Bless the Child" still hit hard, even after all these years. And fun fact—there are two versions of "These Foolish Things," just in case you can’t get enough of it.

Comments

kjoybar

2025-03-14

truly amazing!

masjidrayahabiburrahman

2025-03-13

None better. Absolutely none. An American treasure.

clarissaaaa16

2025-03-13

True Lady Day

smriti2399

2025-03-12

I can't forget the glamour, your eyes held a tender light, my heart beat like a hammer. and stars fell on Alabama last night. We kissed in a field of white

orabilla

2025-03-12

song was mentioned in the john green book Paper Towns. so im listening to it

ahmeeedy07

2025-03-12

My grandfather died two days ago this was his favorite R.I.P papaw

ecjtrebol

2025-03-11

Inoubliable jusqu'a la fin des temps.

michaeldeanmorgan

2025-03-11

My sweet baby!

franrodriguez29

2025-03-10

No other version of this song even comes close. Holiday backed by this list of personnel is nothing but perfection. Jazz perfection.

jaiwareham

2025-03-09

Sometimes we forget how good she was....poor qualty of recording, but still beautiful.

kmountain23

2025-03-09

A rainy NOLA afternoon, fits right in

gilmarbelarmino

2025-03-08

Love you Billie!

fdiquinzio

2025-03-08

Fun Fact the Montgomery Biscuits use this as their win song

rrbuilders6

2025-03-08

Sorry but Patti Page version is better (IMO): more feminine

madhammerforge

2025-03-07

Skipped the trumpet solo...

kate7haven

2025-03-06

Rita payes também canta......Brasil.

sarfaraz792

2025-03-05

Will never forget you, Billie.

ganeshkokku

2025-03-04

Whenever I have a dinner party and it’s a perfect summer night with fireflies and vibrant pastel sunsets this finds its way tinkling over the patio, it generally makes people fall silent (I have a different version...slower and more melancholy) it’s such an evocative number LOVE IT!!

aymard0538

2025-03-03

Cidades de papel?

yoanyonathans

2025-03-02

Greatest black woman to ever touch a microphone. There are others, super wonderful,yet their missing that little bit of Billie.ooohhh what a little moon light can do.