This sublime State of Art reissue features not just the brilliant Songs for Distingué Lovers but also the complete Body and Soul and a final bonus track, ‘I Wished on the Moon’, from All or Nothing at All. All three albums were recorded in Hollywood, California, in January 1957 and feature Billie with an all-star band that includes Ben Webster on tenor, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano and Barney Kessel on guitar. One of her most memorable sessions, Songs for Distingué Lovers opens with an infectiously swinging ‘Day In, Day Out’. Once set, the musical invention never falters, from the gorgeously languorous takes on ‘Stars Fell On Alabama’ and ‘I Didn't Know What Time It Was’ to the masterly ‘Just One Of Those Things’ with pitch perfect soloing from the band (Webster's playing in particular is pure joy). Body and Soul is similarly stuffed with great things, not least Billie's final chorus in ‘Darn That Dream’, backed by Edison and Kessel, or the singer's incredible, time-bending phrasing on ‘Let's Call The Whole Thing Off ’, complete with blistering solos from Webster and Edison. Close to perfection.