"Billie's" "Don't Be Late"

[ladenso1]

I've been aware for more than 30 years that various off-label compilations of Billie's work include a track, "Don't Be Late." For example, as I write this, the allmusic site shows more than 10 CD compilations that include that track. When I used to see used LP compilations that included it in the record bins, more often than not someone had correctly scrawled, "not Billie Holiday." And certainly that title does not show up in, for example, Phil Schaap's Billie discography, one of the appendices to Stuart Nicholson's bio of her.

But I have never been able to find out anything about who the singer, and tenor player--not Lester, really are, when or where the track was recorded, and how it originally got into these Billie compilations.

[JSngry]

Somebody here claims Etta Jones, and I can agree with that, although you can't find corroboration in any online discographies..

[MartyJazz]

Don't know who it is, but it is most definitely NOT Billie Holiday.