Ella+fitzgerald

Truly a gem of recordings of this genius of jazz, accompanied by the best musicians such as Hank Jones, Ray Brown, Lester Young, etc. Highly recommended!

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass made a number of studio recordings as a duo between 1973 and 1986 for Pablo, but this is their first concert CD to appear on the label. Composed of excerpts from a 1975 date in Hamburg and a 1983 appearance in Tokyo, it provides an interesting contrast as Fitzgerald's abilities declined during the eight-year gap due to health problems. The later material is featured first, and Pass' thoughtful support props her up during the occasional rough spots…

Whoever decided to put pianist Marty Paich and Ella Fitzgerald together in the studio in 1966 deserves a bit of credit for the great music on Whisper Not. Together, Fitzgerald and Paich deliver a dozen beautifully sung, carefully arranged standards. An orchestra tastefully backs Fitzgerald's vocals, offering cushy support without overdoing it. Even lighter pieces like "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Old MacDonald" are given stately renditions. There's a fun version of "I Said No," filled with silly double entendres, and a relaxed take on "Thanks for the Memory"…

Recorded during the period of time when Ella Fitzgerald cut her famous series of "songbooks," this set (which in 1998 was reissued on CD) is a bit of a hodge-podge, drawing its 14 selections from six different dates which find Ella backed by orchestras led by either Nelson Riddle, Frank DeVol, Russ Garcia or Paul Weston. "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" was previously available as just a single while "Swingin' Shepherd Blues" (an alternate take) was previously unreleased. As usual, Ella uplifts all of the material and her best moments come on "Somebody Loves Me," a heartfelt "Moonlight Becomes You," a scat-filled "Blue Skies" and (somewhat surprisingly) "St. Louis Blues." Although this was not her most essential release, the formerly obscure Get Happy finds Ella Fitzgerald at the peak of her powers.

CD reissue featuring Ella Fitzgerald's flowing vocals and Marty Paich's Dek-tette band backing her. This was among several hit albums that Fitzgerald enjoyed in the '50s, when she was reaching the mass audience cutting pre-rock standards.

The second of Ella Fitzgerald's famed Songbook series features her singing 34 of the best songs co-written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. The arrangements by Buddy Bregman for the string orchestra and big band only border on jazz but she manages to swing the medium-tempo numbers and give sensitivity to the ballads. With such songs as "You Took Advantage of Me," "The Lady Is a Tramp," "It Never Entered My Mind," "Where or When," "My Funny Valentine," and "Blue Moon," it is not too surprising that these recordings were so popular.

In 1961 Ella Fitzgerald recorded two albums with Nelson Riddle's Orchestra. Her voice was in peak form and, even if the backup band was somewhat anonymous, Fitzgerald uplifted the 15 songs on this set; "All of Me" was from a different obscure sampler and "Call Me Darling" was previously unissued. Although the accent is on ballads, several of the songs are taken at medium tempos and she swings throughout. Highlights include "Georgia on My Mind," "The Very Thought of You," "It's a Pity to Say Goodnight," "Darn That Dream," "Body and Soul" and a cooking "All of Me."