The song of the day for Sunday, April 7, 2024, is “Trav’lin’ Light.”

About Today

We are proud to honor one of the great jazz singers of all time: Billie Holiday. She was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was given the nickname of Lady Day by Lester Young, a frequent collaborator; Bille returned the favor by calling him Prez. She began performing in Harlem as a young teenager. She played Harlem venues such as Pod’s and Jerry’s, where she was heard by musicians such as Benny Goodman, who recorded several records with Holiday. From 1935 to 1938, she recorded with Teddy Wilson, and made several of her early hits with him. She later worked and toured with Count Basie and also with Artie Shaw. In the 1940s, she began to find real success, one of which was “Trav’lin’ Light” which she made in 1942 with Paul Whiteman. In the late 1940s, she ran into a series of legal problems due to her use of narcotics, which caused her to lose her cabaret license, which made it impossible for her to appear in New York clubs that served alcohol. Holliday died in 1959 in a New York hospital, where she was being treated for cirrhosis of the liver.

About This Song

“Trav’lin’ Light” was written in 1942 by Trummy Young and Jimmy Mundy with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The first recording of this song was the one she made with Paul Whiteman. It’s been a popular song for both vocal and instrument jazz musicians, including those by Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Shirley Horn, Sunny Rollins, and Peggy Lee.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Trav’lin’ Light” in June 1996 for his album Tony Bennett On Holiday, released in 1997. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

Tony Bennett On Holiday won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“Trav’lin’ Light,” as well as Tony Bennett On Holiday, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Holiday’s 1942 recording of “Trav’lin’ Light” with Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra.