Billie Holiday—”Don’t Know If I’m Coming Or Going” (1937)

On April 1, 1937, a Thursday in the 30s, twenty-one year old Billie Holiday had a recording session for Vocalion in New York City, produced by Bernie Hanighen. This is Billie‘s interpretation of the final song of this session, a lesser known ballad, written by composer Lee Wainer and lyricist Lupin Fein, ”Don’t Know If I’m Comin’ Or Goin’.”

Billie Holiday and her Orchestra: Eddie Thompkins-trumpet; Buster Bailey-clarinet; Joe Thomas-tenor saxophone; Teddy Wilson-piano; Carmen Mastren-guitar; John Kirby-double bass; Alphonse Steele-drums; and Billie Holiday-vocals.

In the evening, the young songstress joined Count Basie and his Orchestra for their opening at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. In her autobiography “Lady Sings the Blues,” Billie said she joined Basie’s band ”to make a little money and see the world. For almost two years I didn’t see anything but the inside of a Blue Goose bus, and I never got to send home a quarter.”