Tickets available
- From £37.80Includes booking fee
About the show
Boisdale of Canary Wharf presents a tribute to Billie Holiday inspired by her celebrated 1956 Carnegie Hall concert, an evening in which she combined music with passages from her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues. This performance follows that same spirit, blending storytelling and song to illuminate the life and artistry of one of jazz’s most distinctive voices.
Acclaimed vocalist Riketté Genesis leads the performance, bringing a thoughtful and personal interpretation to the Lady Day repertoire. Under the musical direction of pianist and arranger Alex Webb, an accomplished live band revisits the music that defined Holiday’s remarkable career. Between songs, readings drawn from Holiday’s memoir reveal the experiences behind the music in her own words.
The programme includes enduring classics such as "All of Me", "Lady Sings the Blues" and "Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do", alongside favourites including "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", "Fine and Mellow", "My Man", "I Cover the Waterfront" and "Don’t Explain". Together these songs trace Holiday’s journey from the buoyant swing of her early recordings to the intimate and deeply expressive performances of her later years.