Stella Heath & The Billie Holiday Project Celebrating the Life, Legacy, and Music of Lady Day

Presented by The Billie Holiday Project
The project’s debut album, The Billie Holiday Project, was released on May 15, 2026, marking a major milestone after several years of development and live performance. The recording captures the ensemble’s signature approach: intimate, rhythmically grounded, and emotionally precise, with a focus on lyric clarity and ensemble interplay. Since its release, the album has served as both a calling card for presenters and a lasting document of the group’s artistic vision.
Vocalist Stella Heath leads the project. A professional jazz singer known for her interpretive depth and stylistic range, Heath has built a career performing classic American repertoire while developing original projects that center narrative, history, and character. She is also the creator of multiple themed concert productions and recordings, including tributes to Ella Fitzgerald and film music of the Golden Age. Heath’s approach to Billie Holiday’s music is rooted in respect for the source material while allowing space for her own voice, perspective, and lived experience to inform the performance.
The project is co-led and musically directed by pianist and arranger Neil Fontano, a respected jazz musician known for his sensitivity as an accompanist and his deep knowledge of traditional jazz and swing-era repertoire. Fontano’s arrangements form the backbone of the ensemble’s sound—supportive of the vocal line while offering subtle harmonic color and rhythmic flexibility that reflect both the period and a modern jazz sensibility.
The Billie Holiday Project began as a concert collaboration between Heath and Fontano, born out of a shared admiration for Holiday’s artistry and a desire to approach her music with care rather than imitation. What started as a limited engagement quickly grew through word-of-mouth, repeat bookings, and audience response. Over time, the ensemble expanded its repertoire, refined its concept, and developed into a fully realized touring program, appearing in jazz clubs, concert halls, and performing arts centers.
By 2026, the project has become one of Heath’s most recognized and in-demand productions—valued by presenters for its musical integrity, emotional clarity, and ability to connect deeply with audiences across generations. Each performance stands as both a celebration and a remembrance: honoring Billie Holiday not as a distant icon, but as a living artistic force whose music continues to speak with urgency, vulnerability, and strength.