The live recordings included here are among the very best from Billie Holiday's final years. Part of the motivation behind the 1956 Carnegie Hall concert was to promote Billie's autobiography Lady Sings the Blues.

The music was entirely suited to Billie's character part, enhanced by readings from her book by Gilbert Millstein. Although the LP was recorded in 1956, it was not released until 1961, almost two years after Billie's death on July 17, 1959 at the sadly young age of 44.