No Lady Day/Prez date on Clef/Verve

[brownie]

is there an explanation somewhere on why Norman Granz never had Billie Holiday and Lester Young together - a natural combination - in a recording studio, specially after their 'reconciliation' at the Newport 1954 festival?

Both were signed to the label (Lady Day until 1957).

Granz had marvelous saxophonists including Benny Carter, Willie Smith, Flip Phillips, Ben Webster, Budd Johnson, Paul Quinichette on those sessions but no Prez!

An oversight?

[John L]

Yes, it is a major regret that they didn't record together for Verve. I heard that Billie and Lester had a fallout of some sort, but have never even heard a single rumor as to what it was about.

[brownie]

The best Lady Day biography I know 'Wishing on the Moon' by Donald Clark does not refer to a specific incident.

Clark mentions:

'In early 1951, Lady met Lester Young in Philadelphia, and thereafter did not see him for three years, as she wallowed in drugs and he withdrew in alcohol, each seeking release from several kinds of pain.'.

As for the Newport 1954 reunion, Lester Young 'had refused to play with her.

Gerry Mulligan did and that made

Lester mad. According to Donald Clark:

Down Beat magazine hinted that Mulligan's baritone sax had stung Lester into taking his rightful place: 'He shuffled on stage and once again was part of a Billie presentation. They later embraced in the dressing room and the feud was over''.

[John L]

Interesting. If the feud was over in '54, you would think that Granz would have brought them together after that time. He must have tried. No? I imagine that Pres still refused to record with her for one reason or another. Didn't someone think to ask Granz this question?