The album 'Songs for Distingue Lovers' was released in 1957 by Verve Records, compiling recordings made between 1954 and 1956. It was produced by Norman Granz, who also founded the label and was a close collaborator of Billie Holiday during her Verve period.
The recording sessions took place in Los Angeles and New York, with arrangements by musicians such as Ray Ellis and accompaniment by prominent jazz figures like Benny Carter, Harry Edison, and Barney Kessel. The album reflects Holiday's vocal maturity, blending melancholic ballads with jazz standards.
The album title is a pun in French ('distingue' instead of 'distingué'), meaning 'elegant' or 'distinguished'. Although it was not a major commercial success at the time, it is now considered one of the most refined works in her Verve catalog.