The story of these Commodore and Decca recordings - timeless tunes waxed between 1939 and 1950 - is the story of Billie Holiday and Milt Gabler. It is the story of a singer and a producer and their creative, line-crossing partnership in a day when societal and racial lines were sharply drawn. And, like all tales involving legends of increasing stature, it is a story that is proudly retold - especially among family. "They had a bond together that I think was extraordinary," says Billy Crystal, Gabler's nephew and compiler of this collection, "because she knew that she did her best work with him. And I know he felt really proud of what he had done with her. Billie Holiday was Milt's love."