I just got this album, and wow, it’s fantastic! I listened to the original Billie Holiday stuff a lot when I was in college, then sort of… got tired of it. These mixes are really good, though, and I still get to enjoy the best part of the Billie ouvre–Billie herself. To the electronic, slightly jazzy background music I like to listen to anyway. Awesome!
I was getting some songs on last.fm that were Ella Fitzgerald similarly remixed, but no such album exists on Amazon. Bummer.
Has it got Strange Fruit?
Sadly, no Strange Fruit. I did just download this at Sattua’s recommendation and am enjoying it. I had the same thought, that *Strange Fruit * would have great remix potential.
This album seems like music to play in a hair salon. Maybe I’ll buy a copy for my stylist…
Actually, I just found a remixed *Strange Fruit * on Ladies of Jazz Remixed and was not impressed. That whole album got poor reviews on iTunes.
It is said that she cried whenever she sang it.
Cassandra Wilson did an eerie sounding cover, as if it isn’t eerie to just read the lyrics.
I’ll have to check out the album in the OP. Thanks for the recommendation Sattua. Here’s a page about some of the remixers I just found while looking for more info (scroll down).
My favorite version of “Strange Fruit,” after Billie’s, of course, is by Siouxsie & the Banshees, from their fantastic album of covers, Through the Looking Glass.
I haven’t heard Cassandra’s version (thanks for the tip carnivorousplant) but I also like Mary Coughlan’s version on her covers album Sings Billie Holiday.
It’s on the CD New Moon Daughter. It also has Son House Death Letter and strangely enough, Last Train to Clarksville.
Tricky from Massive Attack did a pretty dark remix of Strange Fruit that I like a lot.