Billie Holiday - Delmonte Gardens

Billie Holiday, appearing at Delmonte Gardens in Monterey, CA on Monday, March 17, 1958. The first thing that strikes you about this piece is how large and commanding the two photographs are. One of her best-ever publicity photos adorns the upper left area, and a highly unusual and cool shot of people standing in line waiting to see her comprises the other picture. But Billie's delightful portrait is in that one, too, complete with trademark flowers in her hair. Those who know the familiar look of Tilghman ("TILL-man") concert posters, the printer that was based in Oakland, California and was so prolific in the 1950's & 60's, will recognize right away that they did this flyer, too. The type fonts used and arrangement of the words gives it dead away, but for some reason they didn't give themselves a printer's credit here. Quite an unusual venue, the Delmonte Gardens in Monterey, CA, on Monday night, March 17, 1958... "America's No. 1 Song Stylist, Billie Holiday" in perfectly great large lettering, and then her name again in small print below the left-hand photo. "Only $1.75 per Person... 8:30 'til 2," it says in the lower left. But it's the right-hand photo that sort of steals the show here. San Francisco's "Say When" jazz nightclub was presenting Billie Holiday "Nightly" with the Leomime Gray Trio and Connie Jordan, and used that great picture of her on the entrance banner. And look at those patrons, all decked out in their 1950's splendor. And did you catch that line off to the left, under "Two Big Attractions"? It says, "Crowds Waiting to Get In to Hear Billie Holiday," with that old-fashioned finger pointing to the photo. So cool!