A Musical Romance gathers some of the most romantic songs
Billie Holiday recorded with
Lester Young, including "The Man I Love," "Time on My Hands (You in My Arms)," "I Must Have That Man," and "Who Wants Love?" Essentially a collection of some of the love songs featured on the excellent Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933 - 1944) box set,
A Musical Romance offers a more focused -- and, arguably, easily digested -- way to explore the romantic side of her music. Though much of her work dealt with love won and lost, her collaborations with
Young are especially lively and alluring, "He's Funny That Way," "A Sailboat in the Moonlight," and "Back in Your Own Backyard" chief among them. A charming and concise collection, A Fine Romance presents some of the very best moments from
Holiday and
Young's time together. ~ Heather Phares