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{{about|the song}}
{{For|the Ella Fitzgerald album named after this song|Fine and Mellow (album)}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Single |
{{Infobox song
| Name = Fine and Mellow
| Cover =CommodoreRecord.jpg
| name = Fine and Mellow
| Artist = [[Billie Holiday]]
| cover = CommodoreRecord.jpg
| from Album =
| alt =
| A-side =
| type = single
| B-side = "[[Strange Fruit]]"
| artist = [[Billie Holiday]]
| Released = 1939
| album =
| Format = [[Gramophone record|78 rpm]]
| A-side = [[Strange Fruit]]
| Recorded = April 20, 1939
| released = 1939
| Genre = [[Jazz]]
| recorded = April 20, 1939
| studio =
⚫
| Label = [[Commodore Records|Commodore]]
| Length =
| venue =
| Writer = [[Billie Holiday]]
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| Producer =
| length =
⚫
| label = [[Commodore Records|Commodore]]
| writer = [[Billie Holiday]]
| producer =
| prev_title = I'm Gonna Lock My Heart
| prev_year = 1938
| next_title = [[God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song)|God Bless the Child]]
| next_year = 1942
}}
}}
⚫
"'''Fine and Mellow'''" is a [[jazz standard]] written by [[Billie Holiday]],<ref>Jacobs, Dick & Harriet. ''Who Wrote That Song?,'' Writers Digest Books (1994), page 70 - ISBN 0-89879-639-3</ref> who first recorded it on April 20, 1939 on the [[Commodore Records|Commodore]] label.<ref>[http://www.ladyday.net/trac/a20s5.html Fine and Mellow info]</ref> It is a [[blues]] lamenting the bad treatment of a woman at the hands of "my man".


⚫
"'''Fine and Mellow'''" is a [[jazz standard]] written by [[Billie Holiday]],<ref>Jacobs, Dick & Harriet. ''Who Wrote That Song?,'' Writers Digest Books (1994), page 70 - {{ISBN|0-89879-639-3}}</ref> who first recorded it on April 20, 1939 on the [[Commodore Records|Commodore]] label.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ladyday.net/trac/a20s5.html |title=Fine and Mellow : Billie Holiday : Lyrics |website=Ladyday.net |access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> It is a [[blues]] lamenting the bad treatment of a woman at the hands of "my man".
⚫
== Notable performances and recordings ==


⚫
==Notable performances and recordings==
The song was famously performed by Billie Holiday in 1957 in a television special, ''[[The Sound of Jazz]]''.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_holiday_billie.htm PBS]</ref>
The song was famously performed by Billie Holiday in 1957 in a television special, ''[[The Sound of Jazz]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_holiday_billie.htm |title=JAZZ A film by Ken Burns |publisher=PBS |date=2012-01-06 |access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>
The lineup included several [[jazz]] legends (the first six are listed in the order of their solos):
The line-up included several [[jazz]] legends (the first six are listed in the order of their solos):
* [[Ben Webster]] – [[tenor saxophone]]
* [[Ben Webster]] – [[tenor saxophone]]
* [[Lester Young]] – tenor saxophone
* [[Coleman Hawkins]] – tenor saxophone
* [[Vic Dickenson]] – [[trombone]]
* [[Vic Dickenson]] – [[trombone]]
* [[Gerry Mulligan]] – [[baritone saxophone]]
* [[Gerry Mulligan]] – [[baritone saxophone]]
* [[Coleman Hawkins]] – tenor saxophone
* [[Lester Young]] – tenor saxophone
* [[Roy Eldridge]] – [[trumpet]]
* [[Roy Eldridge]] – [[trumpet]]
* [[Doc Cheatham]] – [[trumpet]]
* [[Doc Cheatham]] – [[trumpet]]
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* [[Milt Hinton]] – [[double bass]]
* [[Milt Hinton]] – [[double bass]]
* [[Mal Waldron]] – [[piano]]
* [[Mal Waldron]] – [[piano]]
* [[Osie Johnson]] - [[drums]]
* [[Osie Johnson]] – [[drums]]
It has been covered several times, sometimes with a change in lyrics or emphasis. For example [[Lou Rawls]] switched the gender to a girlfriend<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EHQ82I Amazon]</ref> and [[Eva Cassidy]] sang it in a defiant tone. Notable cover versions were sung by [[Nina Simone]] (on the 1959 ''[[Nina Simone At Town Hall|At Town Hall]]''), [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]] on her [[Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee Bridgewater|Billie Holiday tribute album]], and [[Ella Fitzgerald]] on her [[eponymous]] [[Fine and Mellow (album)|album]].
It has been covered several times, sometimes with a change in lyrics or emphasis. For example, [[Lou Rawls]] switched the gender to a girlfriend<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EHQ82I |title=Lou Rawls - The Best of Lou Rawls: The Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions |website=Amazon.com |access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> and [[Eva Cassidy]] sang it in a defiant tone. Notable cover versions were sung by [[Nina Simone]] (on the 1959 ''[[Nina Simone at Town Hall|At Town Hall]]''), [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]] on her [[Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee Bridgewater|Billie Holiday tribute album]], and [[Ella Fitzgerald]] on her [[eponymous]] [[Fine and Mellow (Ella Fitzgerald album)|album]].


==Notes==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.billieholidaysongs.com/all_songs.htm#1939 Fine and Mellow recording session]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100528124535/http://www.billieholidaysongs.com/all_songs.htm#1939 Fine and Mellow recording session]
* [http://www.billieholidaysongs.com/vinyl_discography.htm Billie Holiday discography]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100702060641/http://www.billieholidaysongs.com/vinyl_discography.htm Billie Holiday discography]


{{Billie Holiday}}
{{Billie Holiday}}

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Billie Holiday songs]]
[[Category:Billie Holiday songs]]
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[[Category:Songs written by Billie Holiday]]
[[Category:Songs written by Billie Holiday]]
[[Category:Carmen McRae songs]]
[[Category:Carmen McRae songs]]

[[de:Fine and Mellow]]
[[eo:Fine and Mellow]]

Latest revision as of 01:35, 14 November 2023

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Fine and Mellow (disambiguation).
"Fine and Mellow"
Single by Billie Holiday
A-side"Strange Fruit"
Released1939
RecordedApril 20, 1939
GenreJazz
LabelCommodore
Songwriter(s)Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday singles chronology
"I'm Gonna Lock My Heart"
(1938) 		"Fine and Mellow"
(1939) 		"God Bless the Child"
(1942)

"Fine and Mellow" is a jazz standard written by Billie Holiday,[1] who first recorded it on April 20, 1939 on the Commodore label.[2] It is a blues lamenting the bad treatment of a woman at the hands of "my man".

Notable performances and recordings

[edit]

The song was famously performed by Billie Holiday in 1957 in a television special, The Sound of Jazz.[3] The line-up included several jazz legends (the first six are listed in the order of their solos):

It has been covered several times, sometimes with a change in lyrics or emphasis. For example, Lou Rawls switched the gender to a girlfriend[4] and Eva Cassidy sang it in a defiant tone. Notable cover versions were sung by Nina Simone (on the 1959 At Town Hall), Dee Dee Bridgewater on her Billie Holiday tribute album, and Ella Fitzgerald on her eponymous album.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Jacobs, Dick & Harriet. Who Wrote That Song?, Writers Digest Books (1994), page 70 - ISBN 0-89879-639-3
  2. ^ "Fine and Mellow : Billie Holiday : Lyrics". Ladyday.net. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  3. ^ "JAZZ A film by Ken Burns". PBS. 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  4. ^ "Lou Rawls - The Best of Lou Rawls: The Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
[edit]
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