Featuring over six hours of music, this 5CD retrospective from Masterworks collects together material from 10 albums recorded by the singer for the Clef and Verve labels. While the results are uneven, there are some bona fide classics such as Music For Torching, All Or Nothing At All and Songs For Distingué Lovers, all of which contain some of the greatest jazz singing of the twentieth century. With material culled from the Great American Songbook, and stellar accompaniment from the likes of Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Ben Webster and Jimmy Rowles, Billie's interpretations of ‘Moonglow’, ‘Tenderly’, ‘Autumn in New York’, ‘Lover Come Back To Me’ and more detonate a huge emotional charge. The extensive 40-page booklet includes a fine introductory essay by Arthur Morton, original liner notes, LP covers and Downbeat reviews (by Nat Hentoff and others), plus photos and complete track listings. Bonus material on CD5 includes an instrumental version of ‘Just Friends’ (recorded prior to Billie arriving at the studio), the three complete alternate takes from these sessions, a wondrous all-star version of Holiday's self-penned blues ‘Fine and Mellow’, plus two songs (‘When Your Lover Has Gone’ and ‘Don't Explain’) recorded at the Plaza Hotel with Buck Clayton on trumpet and Mal Waldron on piano.