Billie Holiday Songbook / Lara Downes

Lara Downes

Composed by: Holiday; Distler

Steinway & Sons celebrates the iconic jazz singer Billie Holiday’s centenary with an album of songs she made famous, arranged for solo piano by New York-based composer and pianist Jed Distler and performed by Steinway Artist Lara Downes. The result is a musical portrait of the singer’s life. Transcending historical divisions of genre, Lara programs songs including God Bless the Child, Strange Fruit and But Beautiful with works of the period by jazz-influenced concert composers including Ravel, Schulhoff, Ellington, Copland, Florence Price and Gershwin, capturing the essence of what defines the unique sound of American art music and our American legacy. Born in San Francisco of Caribbean and Russian heritage, Lara Downes has garnered wide acclaim as one of the most exciting and communicative pianists of today's generation, lauded by NPR as "a delightful artist with a unique blend of musicianship and showmanship" and praised by the Washington Post for her stunning performances "rendered with drama and nuance".

Price: $22.98