Lynne Fiddmont - Lady (2010)

Why Billie? As far back as I can remember, Billie Holiday was a name I just knew. I didn't know much about her, but I knew her unique, one-of-a-kind voice. Once you heard her, you couldn't forget her. Sometimes she was brash and others she was silky smooth. I couldn't quite decide whether I liked her or not, but I clearly remember the first time I got a glimpse of her genius.
I was in college visiting my good friend, vocalist, Carla Cook. Neither of us majored in music, (I hadn't attended Berklee yet), but we both sang around town with some of Boston's finest musicians. She went to Northeastern and I went to Boston University, so, when we got together, we had plenty of catching up to do. One particular day, we decided to listen to Billie Holiday. The afternoon started as usual with lots of laughter and the sharing of secrets. We soon noticed however, that we had stopped laughing. We had stopped talking. We found ourselves staring blankly at each other. Billie had done what many singers only dream to do, make us feel something. We changed the music immediately.
When "Lady Sings the Blues," starring Diana Ross came to the theater, we got to know her personal struggles. So years later when I played Billie Holiday in a Los Angeles musical, "Dark Legends in Blood", I came to appreciate the many layers of her craftsmanship. Her rhythm, often back-phrased, is impeccable and her note choices are unpredictable, understated, and educated. The great paradox about Billie Holiday is, as unique as her voice is, it is, at the same time rather ordinary and attainable. Most singers have tried to imitate her, but few have even come close.
This CD is not an attempt to copy Billie Holiday. It is however an attempt to introduce a new Day and bridge the gap between the past and the future and usher Miss Billie Holiday into the 21st century.