Editing Billie Holiday (section)

===1935–1938: Recordings with Teddy Wilson===
In 1935, Holiday was signed to Brunswick by John Hammond to record pop tunes with pianist [[Teddy Wilson]] in the swing style for the growing [[jukebox]] trade. They were allowed to [[Musical improvisation|improvise]] on the material. Holiday's improvisation of melody to fit the emotion was highly skillful. Their first collaboration included "[[What a Little Moonlight Can Do]]" and "[[Miss Brown to You]]". "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" has been deemed her "claim to fame".{{Sfn|Bush,|2003|pp=239–240}} Brunswick did not favor the recording session because producers wanted Holiday to sound more like [[Cleo Brown]]. However, after "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" was successful, the company began considering Holiday an artist in her own right.{{Sfn|Nicholson,|1995|p=65}} She began recording under her own name a year later for [[Vocalion Records|Vocalion]] in sessions produced by Hammond and [[Bernie Hanighen]].{{Sfn|Novaes, "The Composers"}} Hammond said the Wilson-Holiday records from 1935 to 1938 were a great asset to Brunswick. According to Hammond, Brunswick was broke and unable to record many jazz tunes. Wilson, Holiday, Young, and other musicians came into the studio without written arrangements, reducing the recording cost. Brunswick paid Holiday a flat fee rather than [[royalties]], which saved the company money. "[[I Cried for You]]" sold 15,000 copies, which Hammond called "a giant hit for Brunswick.... Most records that made money sold around three to four thousand."{{Sfn|Gourse,|2000|pp=73–74}}

Another frequent accompanist was tenor saxophonist [[Lester Young]], who had been a boarder at her mother's house in 1934 and with whom Holiday had a rapport. Young said, "I think you can hear that on some of the old records, you know. Some time I'd sit down and listen to 'em myself, and it sound like two of the same voices&nbsp;... or the same mind, or something like that."{{Sfn|Sheldon,|2011|pp=334–350}} Young nicknamed her "Lady Day", and she called him "Prez".<ref name="ladysingstheblues1956book">{{cite book |last1=Holiday |first1=Billie |last2=Dufty |first2=William |title=Lady Sings the Blues |date=1956}}</ref>