Billie & Me

Terri Lyne Carrington, Director, Drum
Rita Coolidge/Niki Haris/Joan Osbourne/Dianne Reeves/Rotia Traoré, Vocals

It is a spectacular show which celebrates Billie Holiday's spirit and her music. The story follows Holiday's passion about her music and her struggle to go through amid white male dominant music industry. Another time, I wish to take a close look into the lyrics of her music.

Osbourne has a pristine vocal style in comparison with Coolidge and Haris and "I'm a fool to want you" she presented still hangs around my ears. Reeves has a charisma and responds to her expected fame. Her duet song--I think it is "Endangered species", or it doesn't matter anyway--with Traoré is the zenith tonight. Traoré has a very unusual style in that her voice sounds fragile but not vulnerable, rather even spiritual. Her voice seems to come from a temple in a deep mountain. Metal instruments don't go well with her voice and only a few percussions and a bass might be the best match for her. I wish to see Reeves and Traoré together another time.

I cannot help thinking of the show that I saw last summer in Paris, which was about Edite Piaf. Several musicians (or performers) sang Piaf's songs on a small stage with some dance. What makes me feel more sympathy toward Holiday is the hardship she went through and a role model she left to others--at least as far as I can tell after seeing the two shows. Bitterness in life gives one a unique opportunity to mature. But how can one turn the bitterness into the ripe?

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