Left Alone Revisited: A Tribute to Billie Holiday [LP]

Pianist Mal Waldron was a frequent accompanist to Billie Holiday, and in the years since her death recorded several tributes to the great singer. LEFT ALONE REVISITED, recorded not long before Waldron's own death in the early 2000s, finds him joining forces with saxophonist Archie Shepp to reprise some of the best loved songs from Lady Day's catalogue. Although Shepp is best known for his avant garde work, he plays it straight here, putting his rich, gritty tone to the task of echoing Holiday's expressive voice. Waldron's light, fluid playing is as lyrical as ever, and the twining of their instrumental voices on cuts like "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Porgy," and "Lady Sings the Blues" is drop-dead gorgeous enough to serve as a fitting tribute to Holiday.