Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book is a 1956 studio double album by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, focusing on the songs of Cole Porter.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book is a 1956 studio double album by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, focusing on the songs of Cole Porter.

For the seventh album in her celebrated Song Book series, Ella Fitzgerald tackled classic melodies written for Broadway and Hollywood by Jerome Kern, the grandfather of the modern musical comedy, with backing by the orchestra of Nelson Riddle, the dean of Hollywood pop-jazz arrangers. The album was recorded on January 5-7, 1963 at Radio Recorders Studio 10H in Los Angeles and features some of the best studio musicians of the time, including Don Fagerquist (trumpet), Plas Johnson (tenor saxophone), and Wilbur Schwartz (clarinet). For lovers of good songs and good singing, "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book" is a triple treat.

Recorded in 1964, "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book" was recorded at Radio Recorders Studio 10-H in Los Angeles, California with Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra. The album was the only songbook collection Ella recorded that concentrates on the work of a lyricist instead of a composer. Riddle created wonderfully lush arrangements, and the album was Ella's fifth and final collaboration with the conductor and arranger during her years on the Verve label.

Terrific versions of classic Cole Porter songs recorded by jazz's greatest vocalists… Louis Armstrong, Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Helen Merrill, Dinah Washington, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Horn, Billie Holiday, Fred Astaire, Blossom Dearie, Morgana King, and Betty Carter.

A completely unreleased live album by the peerless Ella Fitzgerald, Ella At Zardi’s: Verve Records will close out their year-long celebration of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald's centennial with the ultimate present for her 100th birthday. Rescued from the vaults: "Live At Zardi's" is the Verve Records' first live recording, and is being heard for the first time anywhere. The two sets from the evening, in front of a lively crowd, was captured February 2, 1956, a few days before Ella began recording Verve’s first album, "Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book".

Recognized worldwide as "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald is arguably the finest female jazz vocalist of all time. Blessed with a highly resonant voice, wide range, and near-perfect elocution, Fitzgerald also possessed a deft sense of swing, and with her brilliant scat technique, could hold her own against any of her instrumental contemporaries. She came to initial popularity as a member of drummer Chick Webb's band in the 1930s, scoring a hit with a "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," before ascending to wide acclaim in the 1940s with Jazz at the Philharmonic and Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band, and issuing landmark performances like "Flying Home" and "How High the Moon." Working with producer/manager Norman Granz, she gained even more acclaim with her series of albums on Verve, recording definitive versions of the music of the Great American Songbook composers, including 1956's Sings the Cole Porter Songbook. Over her 50-year career, she earned 13 Grammy Awards, sold over 40 million albums, and picked up numerous accolades including a National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A hugely important cultural figure, Fitzgerald made an immeasurable impact on the development of jazz and popular music, and remains a touchstone for fans and artists decades after her passing.

Long considered a jewel in Verve Records' very impressive crown, Fitzgerald's songbook collections of various composers–a series that was started by the success of this set–are all wonderful, but her natural wit and intelligence was at its most perfect with Cole Porter's erudite, urbane songs. While not as scat-oriented as her small group outings, these Porter sets offer her most realized pop performances. Also, the gold remastering does a fine job of bringing out the nuances in the arrangements, making this a treasure for the serious collector and the casual listener alike. A true American music gem.