This wonderful and lush tribute to Billie Holliday features songs she recorded as well as music that evokes her spirit - as interpreted by master saxophonist James Carter.

James Carter talks about Gardenias for Lady Day: "Basically, ever since my first hearing of 'Mean to Me,' Billie Holiday has been the quintessential vocalist for me, particularly in the musical relationship that she shared with Lester Young. To me, vocalists and instrumentalists, particularly horn players, have often shared a history of musical osmosis where we influence each other."

Billie Holiday's influence on James Carter began with a vinyl copy of The Billie Holiday Story Vol. 3, which he remembers fondly as "one of the first jazz albums I started listening to as a musician, and I constantly played along with from beginning to end. She made the template for the vocalists I would eventually seek out for musical dialogue."

On Gardenias for Lady Day, Carter returns the favor, paying homage to the indomitable spirit of Billie Holiday and the complexity of her musical legacy with a cohesive group of soundworks evoking far more than simply the sublime sadness and haunted turbulence of Lady Day's life and era.

Gardenias for Lady Day is produced by Yves Beauvais. Strings on the album are arranged by Greg Cohen and Cassius Richmond.

"Baritone saxophonist of the year." - Downbeat Critic's Poll, 2001, 2002, 2003

Musicians:
James Carter, saxophones & clarinets
John Hicks, piano
Peter Washington, bass
Victor Lewis, drums
String Arangements by Greg Cohen & Cassius Richmond
Produced by Yves Beavais

Selections:
1. Gloria
2. Sunset
3. (I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone
4. I'm In A Low Down Groove
5. Strange Fruit
6. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
7. Indian Summer
8. More Than You Know