The Fitzgerald

Q Magazine
"The most beautiful sad album of the year"

Product Description
The follow-up to last year's highly acclaimed "Post To Wire" is a quiet departure from the raucous, visceral send-ups that have made these Portland-based rockers a band to watch. Written at the Fitzgerald Casino in chief songwriter Willy Vlautin's hometown of Reno, this album is a stark collection of songs about the people who live in the shadows of a casino town. It contains the most vivid and compelling songs the band has written to date. It debuted at #13 on the UK Indie Chart in May, and Richmond Fontaine are again experiencing the kind of praise rarely bestowed on any artist.

The Fitzgerald

The Fitzgerald,Richmond Fontaine,Union,Alternative Country-Rock,Indie Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,United States of America

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The Fitzgerald

Average customer rating: We all Love Ella Notable Tribute This is good, but I love Ella more than the folks trying to sing her Great CD, especially for someone new to trad jazz Should Be A Grammy Winner In 2008!

We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song Various Artists Manufacturer: Verve ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Love, Ella Call Me Irresponsible Avant Gershwin Surrender Anchored in Love: A Tribute To June Carter Cash ASIN: B000PA9Q3M Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

1. A Tisket a Tasket - Natalie Cole
2. Lullaby Of Birdland - Chaka Khan
3. The Lady Is a Tramp - Queen Latifah
4. Dream a Little Dream Of Me - Diana Krall
5. (You'll Have To Swing It) Mr. Paganini - Natalie Cole
6. Oh Lady Be Good! - Dianne Reeves
7. Reaching For the Moon - Lizz Wright
8. Blues In the Night - Ledisi
9. Miss Otis Regrets - Linda Ronstadt
10. Someone To Watch Over Me - Gladys Knight
11. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me - Etta James
12. Angel Eyes - K.D. Lang
13. Too Close For Comfort - Michael Buble
14. You Are the Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
15. Airmail Special - Nikki Yanofsky

Amazon.com

Covering songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald is a daunting endeavor, since only Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan challenge her place as the premier female jazz vocalist in history. But the late Fitzgerald inspired and influenced a wide array of talented acolytes--from Natalie Cole to k.d. lang to Dianne Reeves--many of whom gather on this spirited, Phil Ramone-produced tribute to partially benefit the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. Cole, backed by an eager gaggle of call-and-response male worshippers, breathes fun new life into the swingy "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," while Chaka Khan, showcasing the breadth of her range, delivers a transporting rendition of the enchanting jazz blues "Lullaby of Birdland." (The two also team up for a delicious scat-fest on "Mr. Paganini.") If lang is equally transfixing on the ballad "Angel Eyes," it's newcomer Ledisi who steals the show with "Blues in the Night," her expansive soprano often mimicking a muted or full-tilt trumpet, one of Fitzgerald's hallmarks. Performances from Etta James and Nikki Yanofsky also rivet, even if Diana Krall and Hank Jones's "Dream a Little Dream of Me" comes across as a little too sleepy, and Gladys Knight is probably not the best singer for "Someone to Watch Over Me." The album surprises with a live duet ("You Are the Sunshine of My Life") between Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder, recorded at the 1977 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Although it seems tacked on, it doesn't grate nearly as much as Michael Bublé's "Too Close for Comfort," so slick it would put an eel to shame. Skip over that transgression, and turn to the antidote of Lizz Wright's sultry take on the melancholy "Reaching for the Moon," which plumbs emotional depths not even the ever-joyous Great Lady managed to attain. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

A star-studded album from legendary producer Phil Ramone pays tribute to one of the most celebrated female vocalists of all time, Ella Fitzgerald.

This CD includes performers such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Ledisi, Lizz Wright, Queen Latifah, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Linda Ronstadt, Dianne Reeves and more.

Customer Reviews:

We all Love Ella.......2007-07-18

I love Ella but this one some of the artists just don't do her songs justice.

Notable Tribute.......2007-07-16

This CD is a very good tribute to Ella. All the artists added thier own style without losing the essence of the performer they all admired.

This is good, but I love Ella more than the folks trying to sing her.......2007-07-03

My favorite part of this collection was Ella and Stevie Wonder singing "Sunshine of my Life." The blend of their voices was amazing. If it possibly could have been done, I'd love to have seen the video of this performance.

Of the tributes, Ledisi's "Blues in the Night" blew me away. Her vocalese imitation of a trumpet was one of the best impressions I have ever heard.

I also liked hearing Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan in duet on "If you can't sing it, you'll have to swing it." Etta James' alto was definitely refreshing on "Wait til you hear from me." She's the only woman on the CD with a voice in the lower registers and definitely different from the other vocalists.

Great CD, especially for someone new to trad jazz.......2007-06-27

This is the second CD I've purchased of music from Ella Fitzgerald's era. I have one CD of Dave Grusin pays Homage to Duke Ellington and I didn't like it at all. But this CD is great! It has a variety of vocalists who are tops in their field, mostly jazz but some rock (Linda Ronstadt and K.D. Laing). The orchestration and vocal stylings are all excellent with great variety. The selection of artists is about as good as good gets. Practically no one great was left out that I know of who sings in this genre. Buy it as a great introduction to this era.

Should Be A Grammy Winner In 2008!.......2007-06-11

'We All Love Ella' is a first rate tribute to the First Lady Of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. While I agree with the previous reviewer on many points, I'll try to focus on the project as a whole. Verve must be commended for asembling such a formidible list of singers & musicians on this CD, and you can't help but feel good while listening to the various interpretations, which are all top rate. The one track which caught my attention from the start was the LONG OVERDUE DUET between Natalie Cole & Chaka Khan! The two divas' voices blend SO WELL on '(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (A.K.A. Mr.Paganini)', and I also love the arrangement of the song, which is long enough for Chaka & Natalie to sing & scat up a storm.

There are so many other highlights on 'We All Love Ella', BUT the failure to include songs by TWO prominent Ella disciples (Patti Austin & Dee Dee Bridgewater), was questionable (IMO). Both of these legendary singers recorded Ella tribute projects in the past ('Dear Ella' & 'For Ella' respectively!), and they could've shined on this new CD singing 'Our Love Is Here To Stay' & 'How High The Moon ?'. Both of these songs are Ella classics without question, but are absent on 'We All Love Ella'. Oh well, maybe Verve will cook up Volume 2 ?

All in all 'We Love Ella - Celebrating The First Lady Of Song' is a first rate tribute to an American Icon, and I applaud everyone involved for the great music...which is one of the finest 'tribute' projects in recent memory. I'd also like to thank Phil Ramone for NOT releasing a shabby collection of songs (most of those countless 'remake' CDs on Shanachie Records comes to mind!!). Obviously a lot of thought & time was invested in producing 'We All Love Ella', so I'd recommend it to jazz lovers everywhere.
Peace, SD
(of 'Chakasworld')

Average customer rating: the best of ella Good, but not enough "PERFECTION" The most talented singer of our time! The Best Singer in the world!!!!

Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Manufacturer: Verve ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Verve | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday The Best of the Song Books Billie Holiday - Greatest Hits (Sony) Pure Ella ASIN: B0000069ON Release Date: 1998-03-31

Tracks:

1. Mack The Knife
2. Blue Skies
3. A Tisket, A Tasket
4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
5. Misty
6. You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini)
7. Tea For Two
8. Love Is Here To Stay
9. Night And Day
10. My Funny Valentine
11. The Boy Fom Ipanema
12. Too Marvelous For Words
13. Take The 'A' Train
14. Summertime
15. How High The Moon
16. All The Things You Are
17. Over The Rainbow
18. Oh, Lady, Be Good

Customer Reviews:

the best of ella.......2007-01-17

great cd. i bought it as a gift for my mom and she loves it. i actually really like it too even though i had never heard much by ella before. a great variety of all of her best work and displays her voice so well.

Good, but not enough.......2007-01-10

I really like Ella Fitzgerald. She was probably the greatest Jazz singer ever. This makes almost every song she sings nice, but I think this is not enough for a disc that aims to be the "very best" of Ella. Not all the songs in my opinion were the very best, there were many that were missing and some that are nice but not the best. Also the order sounds a little bit messy to me. In conclusion, I prefer other discs, but this one anyway is cheap and it's a cute introduction to the singer.

"PERFECTION".......2006-11-12

Every track on this CD brought out Ella's
superiority of a vocal artist. I have been
blessed to have seen Ella live in concert
two times. Once as as solo performer at
Indiana University and the other performace
was in Chicago and the billing was titled
"Sinatra, Fitzgerald, & The Duke" I have been able
to relive these wonderful performances with this CD
"Pure Ella" By the way, there is now a performer in
Chicago who has her range and talent. Her name is Lisa
McClowry and she can be be seen live with Tom Linsk most
monday & thursdays at "The Red Head" in Chicago. Be there!
You will not regret it!!!

The most talented singer of our time!.......2006-11-08

Just recently started getting into vocal jazz. I already own a few classic jazz compilations with a few of Ella's songs on them. The first time I heard her voice I was hooked! I escpecially loved her cover of Mack the Knife! im not going to spend time and try to write some pseudo-intellectual dribble. As I already stated, im fairly new to the classic/vocal jazz world so I wont waste anyones time pretending to know a lot about this genre. What I do know is Ella Fitzgewrald a musical goddess.

The Best Singer in the world!!!!.......2005-06-22

This woman is the Best singer I've ever heard.I'm only 20 years old and I just looooove her music so much.

Average customer rating: Bestof Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Ella and Louis sing of life as we know it--and wow, how I appreciate the ride!!! A Must-Have (in one form or another)--but think twice. No,they cant take that away from me... 'Your Daddy's rich and your Momma fine looking'

Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald Louis Armstrong - All-Time Greatest Hits The Best of the Song Books Love Songs Billie Holiday - Greatest Hits (Sony) ASIN: B0000047FO Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

1. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
2. Love Is Here To Stay
3. The Nearness Of You
4. Stars Fell On Alabama
5. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
7. Autumn In New York
8. Summertime
9. Tenderly
10. Stompin' At The Savoy
11. Under A Blanket Of Blue
12. I Wants To Stay Here
13. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
14. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
15. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)

Amazon.com essential recording

Ella Fitzgerald's voice was satin to Louis Armstrong's sandpaper, but when you put them together on a single song, their chemistry was unimpeachable. This disc selects highlights from the three albums they made together at Verve (including their Porgy and Bess), and adds a spiffy live track from the Hollywood Bowl. Though they don't harmonize much (Armstrong's voice wasn't built for harmony), Ella's dignified swing and flashes of teasing wit play off Satchmo's gritty, good-humored roar symbiotically. The material is mostly lightweight Tin Pan Alley stuff (lots of Gershwin, plus the likes of "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"), and they fly it like a kite. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Bestof Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.......2007-01-11

AWESOME!!!! Bought this CD for my husband as Christmas gift. We were both astounded at how wonderful this duo, the music and the sound quality are. Recorded in the late 1950's, this music is still incredible, even after all these years! The songs are timeless, the execution by Armstrong and Fitzerald IMPECCABLE!

Highly recommend this one .... you won't be disappointed!

Ella and Louis sing of life as we know it--and wow, how I appreciate the ride!!!.......2006-10-26

On this CD Ella and Louis Armstrong join forces to make an album that is pure magic. They've been lovingly teased as satin (Ella) and sandpaper (Louis, because of his gravelly voice); but no duo compares to them when they sing together. Louis and Ella obviously enjoyed making this recording; their voices are in excellent form and impart a certain sense of genuine happiness that is hard to find. Ella and Louis have voices that are rich, vibrant and full of electricity! This CD proves it.

The CD starts off with the charming and playful "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." The album then switches gears and goes into the more soulful love ballad entitled "Our Love Is Here To Stay." Sublime! Other great songs on this CD include "Stars Fell On Alabama;" "The Nearness Of You;" "Stompin' At The Savoy;" and "Tenderly." Louis performs great trumpet solos on songs including "Tenderly" and "Summertime" that make your heart melt. In fact, every song is special on this CD; I also admire their rendition of "Under A Blanket Of Blue."

The musical arrangements are very well done. These tracks feature several great opportunities for us to enjoy Armstrong's trumpet solos.

The liner notes impress me, too. There is an adaptation of an essay by William Ruhlmann who wrote the liner notes for The Complete Ella And Louis On Verve. There are beautiful photos of Ella and Louis; and you get the song credits, too. A nice plus!

Overall, the chemistry between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong makes for an experience that is truly in its own league. They enjoy their work and it shows. You will appreciate their energy and powerful renditions of these wonderful songs. I highly recommend this CD for fans of classic pop vocals and fans of both Ella and Louis. This is also a great budget priced CD for people who want to know if they will like this style of music.

Moreover, if you do like this CD I suggest you listen to the CD box set entitled The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong and another CD entitled Ella and Louis again. You can also try solo CDs by both Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong; they produced great music individually as well. You truly can't go wrong with this classic CD; and I hope this CD brings you the same joy and thrills that Ella and Louis communicate when they perform these magnificent songs. ENJOY!!!

A Must-Have (in one form or another)--but think twice........2006-10-14

With all due respect to some other reviewers, this is not "an album" made by Ella and Louis: it's a sampler comprising three Ella and Louis albums. Normally I would not even consider, say, a Sinatra anthology mixing three masterworks like "Only the Lonely," "In the Wee Small Hours," and "Come Fly with Me": each is a unique and integrally whole project. But I have the Ella and Louis LPs, so I picked up this compressed anthology to take some pressure off of the vinyl.

Like most "best-of" collections, it suffers a bit from uneven textures (the lush orchestration of "Summertime" seems like an intrusion on the intimate rapport established in the preceding numbers) and audio quality (variances in mics, mixing and engineering can be hard to disguise). So unless some of the tunes on this anthology seem absolutely essential, go with "Ella and Louis," if only for its more coherent, unified feel--like two supreme musical storytellers having an irresistable conversation in real time and in real space. (If you have a piano, imagine inviting both into your living room for the evening.)

Louis' meetings with Ella were his most successful collaborations with another major star (the Ellington get-together doesn't compare), and unfortunately I know of no extended, full-fidelity vinyl sessions featuring Pops with Bing Crosby. What's most noteworthy about their pairing is Ella's restrained deference to Louis, and Louis' passionate, animated trumpet solos (it was not unusual for him to "coast" at this stage of his career). The duets are at times a bit sloppy, or "under-rehearsed," especially following the trumpet solo, but the absence of polish is in this case all for the better. This is a recording about communication of the most "natural" sort, not about perfection or disciplined performance. To hear Pops singing unison, then in 3rds, with Ella on an up-tempo "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" defies description. Simply his presence is enough to showcase Ella's grace and set us up for the sound of surprise when it's Louis' turn to sing solo.

Recently I heard a Wynton Marsalis tribute to Louis at the Lincoln Center. As fluent and dazzling as Wynton was, his performance made me appreciate Louis all the more. Perhaps Leonard Bernstein hit it on the head in his musical essay about jazz, "What Is Jazz?" Alternating between Louis' vocals and trumpet playing, he pointed out the similarity between the two, noting the hint of "pain" intermingled with the joy, or the brilliance of the trumpet sound, as evidence of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, which might be said to be the essence of the blues itself. Fortunately, that sound is captured in virtually every note that Louis sings and plays on this recording.

No,they cant take that away from me..........2006-07-14

Sixty odd years ago,over AFN,Europe,whistles and fade outs and sometimes only very feeble sounds of the devine trumpet or,the girlish , heavenly voice kept us hoping,kept us alive in the red quagmire.The thin ray of sunshine in the deep,dark well of the *paradise.No,they really cant take all this away.Yes , we will never meet again.Soon I would not be
able to remember the tunes I loved,but,thanks Heaven,we had the chance to hear them for so many years after THEY(and many others) left us.We may get sentimental,we may feel sorry for us,but we must be happy at heart,because thanks to vynils and CDs,they are still with us and the good old jazz can still be heard and enjoyed...
Mirko J. Stojnic oldtimer682005@yahoo.ca

'Your Daddy's rich and your Momma fine looking'.......2006-05-24

The two greats the one- and- only Satchmo and the one-and-only Ella get together and make music which makes the listener happy to be alive. As another Amazon reviewer has written one feels that they simply so much enjoy making music that their attitude is infectious. The way each one of them in his/her own way play with the lyric and the music is just a delight. They've got it , in the deepest way. And they give it to their listeners with such incredible swinging lilting grace( Ella) and raspy, gravelly, charm( Satchmo) that one just loves to listen.
I do not agree with the editorial review which says that this music is 'Tin-Pan alley frill" You have some of the great popular songs here including one which is arguably the greatest, " Summertime".
These are the songs:

1. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
2. Love Is Here To Stay
3. The Nearness Of You
4. Stars Fell On Alabama
5. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
7. Autumn In New York
8. Summertime
9. Tenderly
10. Stompin' At The Savoy
11. Under A Blanket Of Blue
12. I Wants To Stay Here
13. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
14. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
15. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart

Enjoy.

Average customer rating:

Love Letters from Ella Ella Fitzgerald Manufacturer: Concord Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Classic Female Vocal Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song Love, Ella Dear Miles Turned to Blue The Essential Paul Simon (2 CD/DVD) ASIN: B000QUU2HU Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

1. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone - Count Basie Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald
2. Cry Me a River - Ella Fitzgerald, The London Symphony Orchestra
3. You Turned the Tables on Me - Ella Fitzgerald
4. I've Got the World on a String - Ella Fitzgerald, The London Symphony Orchestra, Joe Pass
5. Witchcraft - Ella Fitzgerald
6. My Old Flame - Ella Fitzgerald, Scott Hamilton, The London Symphony Orchestra
7. One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else) - Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass
8. Take Love Easy - Ella Fitzgerald, The London Symphony Orchestra, Joe Pass
9. Our Love Is Here to Stay - Ella Fitzgerald, , Niels-Henning sted Pedersen, Andrrevin
10. Some Other Spring - Count Basie Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald

Average customer rating: Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong The greatest A work of art... check out the thrift stores for mono vinyl Ella and Louis create music that is thoughtful, strong and satisfying!

Ella and Louis Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Ella & Louis Again (Dig) Sarah Vaughan W/ Clifford Brown Miles Ahead John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman Getz/Gilberto ASIN: B00004RD5E Release Date: 2000-03-07

Tracks:

1. Can't We Be Friends?
2. Isn't This A Lovely Day?
3. Moonlight In Vermont
4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
5. Under A Blanket Of Blue
6. Tenderly
7. A Foggy Day
8. Stars Fell On Alabama
9. Cheek To Cheek
10. The Nearness Of You
11. April In Paris

Amazon.com

What we have here is the mating of honey and molasses. Or is it the sound of melted butter over gravel? Never mind--sweeter, more joyous music has never been recorded (although the follow-up, Ella and Louis Again, may be even better). You can't listen to these two without smiling. It's such an inevitable pairing that you wonder what titanic forces of nature could have kept Ella and Satchmo apart until they made this record together in 1957, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson trio and Buddy Rich on drums. The songs are standards--extraordinary standards, of course, like "Moonlight in Vermont" and "A Foggy Day"--but nirvana is reached on "Cheek to Cheek." Heaven. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong.......2007-02-24

Marvelous! The two artists together exceeded my expectations. I strongly recommend the CD to anyone who loves music!

The greatest .......2007-01-22

Mr. Jazz and the greatest feminine jazz vocalist sing together. Satchmo plays and Ella lilts , and there is such joy and fun in their singing. Both of them gravelly Louie and pure chrystalline Ella give the lyrics of these great songs their full due. One feels them both enjoying what they are doing, and inspired by each other's presence. Perhaps there is even a certain edge of rivalry at some point, the greatest meeting the greatest to see who the greatest really is.
What there is though and Louis also does on his great trumpet solos is the best popular music there is.

A work of art..........2006-12-08

This is pure perfection. This is what music is supposed to sound like. It is a spectacular work of art and mere words can't do it justice. I have listened to this album over and over again and never tire of it. Lady Ella and Pops are legends and this legendary meeting between the two not only lived up to everyone's expectations, it actually exceeded them! This is not music that 'grows' on you. This is music that from the moment you hear it you're hooked! It is not just about the two superstars and their unique albeit completely different voices which together create magic. It is also about the legends behind them as well -Oscar Peterson's trio and Buddy Rich on the drums. Not too shabby to say the least. I'm mean seriously folks, how can this be anything but great?

check out the thrift stores for mono vinyl.......2006-11-09

this album has been one of my all time favourites for more than two decades. i have several LP pressings of Ella And Louis. a couple of weeks ago i bought the CD for those moments when i'm too lazy to flip records. yesterday i played the CD for the first time. oh boy. yes, i did tap my feet. and yes, i did grin. but i missed that feeling of intimacy, of that just-feeling-good-feeling that usually sets in the very latest after 2 minutes into this record on vinyl. to make sure i was not hallucinating, i put the LP on the turntable. oh my... the LP sounds so much more immediate and intimate at the same time, i actually get a feeling of being there with them in the studio whereas with the CD (as well as the CD is remastered!) i feel like listening to the two performing. it's hard to put in words how the two formats differ. but the differences are not subtle. and i'm not talking audiophile BS! (i'm waaay past the format war; i listen to CDs as well as to LPs. both have their merits. usually the differences are much less prominent than with this record.)

so here's my advice to all of you still in possession of a turntable: by all means try to find this LP in garage sales, thrift stores, internet auctions and what not. you'll be rewarded with cracks, pops etc, but you won't notice them. no need to buy the pricey audiophile LP-reissues! you will notice, that ella's voice has more nuances and her phrasing is more precise on the LP compared with the CD. could it be that some music is just not made to be digitized?! (just as some cover art is not made to be shrunk to jewel case size - looking at the hilarious picture of ella and louis on a 12" LP cover and on a CD booklet is like day and night!)

i'm sure you can find the LP of Ella And Louis somewhere in your neighborhood or in your nearest thrift store for very little $. if you don't have a record player (anymore) ... hmm ... this LP alone would be more than a good reason to buy one!

last, not least: Ella And Louis was recorded in mono. i have several verve stereo LPs and one original mono pressing. if you find a mono version of the LP, grab it, hold it and don't never let it out of your hands. it SMOKES all (electronically enhanced?) stereo issues. the mono version is so much more open, transparent, direct, intense and natural. i hesitate to use the word, but the early red/yellow label verve mono LP is more organic than all later (re)issues. definitely worth looking for!

it seems to me that the newer the record format, the less intimate this recording becomes. the early mono pressings are better than the stereo LPs, and vintage stereo LPs imho are better than all audiophile LP reissues. (remember, stereo was invented, but not yet commercialized in 1956!) there are several CD masterings, and i also have a SACD of Ella and Louis. the two digital formats are ok, but sound somewhat veiled and slightly metallic compared to the LPs. (and when will Ella And Louis be reissued on DVD-A with 24 bit/192khz? this might be a worthy contender of the LP.)

to sum it up: try to find Ella And Louis on vinyl even if you have the CD. i'mm pretty sure, the rave reviews here on amazon of this one of a kind-recording would even be more enthousiastic, had the reviewers heard the LP... ;-)

Ella and Louis create music that is thoughtful, strong and satisfying!.......2006-10-28

Ella and Louis worked hard to produce this album in 1956; and today many fans of this music still marvel at its beauty. Their voices rich, vibrant and energetic as ever, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were a duo that remains incomparable. This CD proves it.

Although the CD starts off with the playful "Can't We Be Friends," most of the music on this CD has a slow, relaxed and pensive feel to it that is remarkable. I love their romantic renditions of "Moonlight In Vermont;" "They Can't Take That Away From Me;" "Tenderly" and "Cheek To Cheek." Moreover, they perform very gracefully on "Stars Fell On Alabama." The CD ends with the classic ballad "April In Paris."

I initially thought the CD was too slow and I was not sure if I liked the album. However, the second time I listened I felt more comfortable with the pace. After I listened to the CD the third time I finally understood the importance of the "slower" feel to the songs. The songs become much more romantic, pensive and substantial at this pace.

The liner notes include the original notes from the LP release of this album; and there are nice photos of Ella and Louis on the reverse of the liner notes. In fact, the cover photo of Ella and Louis is my favorite of them together. Ella and Louis appear warm, friendly and approachable--and that's precisely the way the entire album comes across once you get into its "slower" pace. Very clever!

Overall, this is an excellent CD for fans of classic vocals, jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and duets. It is affordable so it is also a great way to find out if you'll like this kind of music. The quality of the sound is excellent.

Highly recommended! ENJOY!!!

Average customer rating: I Love Ella in Paris! A Best Seller in Heaven The First Lady of Song Sings Cole Porter Gems I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!! new ella fitzgerald fan

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook Ella Fitzgerald Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald Sinatra Sings Cole Porter Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook ASIN: B0000047EG Release Date: 1997-06-24

Tracks:

1. All Through The Night
2. Anything Goes
3. Miss Otis Regrets
4. Too Darn Hot
5. In The Still Of The Night
6. I Get A Kick Out Of You
7. Do I Love You?
8. I'm Always True To You In My Fashion
9. Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)
10. Just One Of Those Things
11. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
12. All Of You
13. Begin The Begiune
14. Get Out Of Town
15. I Am In Love
16. From This Moment On

Tracks:

1. I Love Paris
2. You Do Something To Me
3. Ridin' High
4. Easy To Love
5. It's All Right With Me
6. Why Can't You Behave?
7. What Is This Thing Called Love?
8. You're The Top
9. Love For Sale
10. It's De-Lovely
11. Night And Day
12. Ace In The Hole
13. So In Love
14. I've Got You Under My Skin
15. I Concentrate On You
16. Don't Fence Me In
17. You're The Top (Alternative Take)
18. I Concentrate On You (Alternative Take)
19. Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) (Alternative Take)

Amazon.com

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. --Skip Heller

Customer Reviews:

I Love Ella in Paris!.......2007-01-30

I received this CD for Christmas. I never listened to
another Christmas carol after this started playing.
This not only has Ella's great vocals, but it has songs
that everyone, at least everyone of my age, knows
and loves. On a trip to Paris we listened
to it every evening in our apartment while sipping our wine and watching
the barges glide down the Seine. When Ella sang "I Love
Paris", that did it for my friend. She bought it as soon as she got back home.

A Best Seller in Heaven.......2007-01-06

The de-lightful-est! The de-lovely-est! It doesn't get better than this!

Vaishali, Naples, FL

The First Lady of Song Sings Cole Porter Gems.......2006-12-13

"In Ella Fitzgerald there is a basic purity of sound and of style; she sings truly and she sings honestly. She is the Hemingway of the singers. Is there another singer alive today whose work, like Hemingway, is so basic and simple on the surface and yet so meaningful? There are none, of course. In the jargon Hemingway loves so well, today it is Ella, the champion, against the field." ~ Norman Granz ~

"What it is we recognize and enjoy as distinctively "Cole Porter" in Cole Porter lyric? Actually there are many great things in Porter lyrics and this gives them a continuing charm by always giving us something new to discover. But there is a key trait or quality that is paramount in a Porter lyric. It is intelligence that is the reigning force in Porter, putting all his facts, facilities and philosophies into the right balance to make good entertainment. And that, after all, is his purpose." ~ Fred Lounsberry ~

This two-CD-set presents the very best of Cole Porter songs as interpreted by the legendary songbird, Ella Fitzgerald at her best, and arranged and conducted by Buddy Bregman so remarkably wonderful. It's one of the best-ever Songbook series she recorded. This set offers a compilation of the most popular Cole Porter gems from stage shows and motion pictures from 1929 thru 1954, except for one track, "Miss Otis Regrets," which is neither from stage nor screen.

Cole Porter was one of the few great songwriters who can creatively write a song by himself and didn't need a songwriting partner. He was at par with Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser in that category. In these recordings, his songs really shine through with Ella Fitzgerald's beautiful interpretations, from "Begin The Beguine," "Do I Love You" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" to "You Do Something To Me," "Easy To Love" and "I Concentrate On You."

This is essential not only to all Ella Fitzgerald and Cole Porter fans, but also to anyone who loves the Songbook series.

A collector's item.

I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!.......2006-09-02

I love this cd so much that at least one of them (it is a 2-cd set) are in my cd changer at ALL times. This is truly one of the best investments in music I have EVER made and I am so glad I bought it!!! This has to be one of the best ella cds out there...PERIOD.

new ella fitzgerald fan.......2006-07-03

I never listened to this type of music before. I am a Jewel fan & had saw that this was her favorite cd, so I decided to give it a try. I am very impressed. Great cd!

Average customer rating: Love Ella CD

Love, Ella Ella Fitzgerald Manufacturer: Verve ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song Sweet and Hot Lullabies of Birdland We Love Ella! A Tribute To The First Lady Of Song DVD Call Me Irresponsible ASIN: B000Q364LK Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

1. A-Tisket, A-Tasket
2. Lullaby Of Birdland
3. The Lady Is a Tramp
4. Dream a Little Dream Of Me
5. (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (a.k.a. Mr. Paganini
6. Oh, Lady Be Good!
7. Reaching For the Moon
8. Blues In the Night
9. Miss Otis Regrets
10. Someone To Watch Over Me
11. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
12. Angel Eyes
13. Too Close For Comfort
14. Airmail Special

Customer Reviews:

Love Ella CD.......2007-07-17

Great CD of original Ella recordings. Good quality and the cuts are the ones that other people sang on the PBS salute to Ella.

Average customer rating: Ella burns up the track as she and these songs become one There is no one like Ella great songs and great singing, but not jazz exactly Ella Wonderful!

The Best of the Song Books Ella Fitzgerald Manufacturer: Verve ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Best of the Song Books: The Ballads Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald Best of the Verve Song Books: Love Songs Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook ASIN: B0000046R2 Release Date: 1993-09-21

Tracks:

1. Something's Gotta Give
2. Love Is Here To Stay
3. Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered
4. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
5. The Lady Is A Tramp
6. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
7. Miss Otis Regrets
8. 'S Wonderful
9. Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
10. Love For Sale
11. They Can't Take That Away From Me
12. Midnight Sun
13. Hooray For Love
14. Why Was I Born?
15. Cotton Tail
16. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

Amazon.com

Trying to cull a single-CD "Best of" from the 16-CD set of The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books may seem like a daunting task, but it's also foolproof. The complete set is a monument to the century's greatest songs and, arguably, its greatest singer, and this selection is a series of gems programmed to simulate a Fitzgerald performance, carefully sequencing joyous uptempo swingers and moving ballads. Recorded between 1956 and 1964, Fitzgerald's finest years, the CD includes arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and Buddy Bregman, as well as a superb rendering of "I've Got It Bad" with the Ellington orchestra and Johnny Hodges. Balancing the orchestral settings are some intimate small-group performances, including a witty rendition of Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" and Rodgers and Hart's "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." This is an ideal introduction to the "Song Books," a selection so good it will appeal to owners of the box sets. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Ella burns up the track as she and these songs become one.......2007-07-04

Ella Fitzgerald turned out numerous song books at a time when her voice was quite possibly at its peak. This CD attempts to cover the very best of the numbers from all her song books. Although no single CD can truly do that; this CD comes pretty close and every number is a huge hit.

The CD track set starts with "Something's Gotta Give;" and Ella sings this with all her might as she swings brightly. The musical arrangement bolsters Ella's vocals wonderfully for this relentlessly upbeat number. "Something's Gotta Give" provides a strong start for this album. "Our Love Is Here To Stay" features Ella massaging this immortal Gershwin tune. Ella swings gently for this romantic tune and the musicians accompany Ella to perfection. The horns really shine in this Nelson Riddle arrangement, too.

"Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" features Ella singing rarely heard additional verses; her voice is rich, warm and vibrant. The slow tempo and piano work well as Ella swings very gently to make "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" a rare gem shining brightly! "The Lady Is A Tramp" gives us a change of pace; Ella sings a beautiful opening verse slow and sweet before this number takes off and Ella takes flight! The vivacious arrangement by Buddy Bregman reflects great judgment that enhances "The Lady Is A Tramp."

"Miss Otis Regrets" showcases Cole Porter's talent; and when Ella sings "Miss Otis Regrets" she infuses it with such understanding that Ella's rendition is THE ultimate interpretation of this melancholy ballad. The piano playing by Paul Smith never misses a note, either. I believe you will appreciate "Miss Otis Regrets." "S'Wonderful" changes the pace once again as Ella sings a relentlessly upbeat song. "S'Wonderful" glows when Ella interprets it with her unique sense of style; and Ella swings very well for this number. In addition, "Love For Sale" has Ella singing extra verses yet again--what a treat that is! "Love For Sale" sports a grand arrangement by Buddy Bregman as Ella sings of a young woman who wants her men to pay her for romantic time alone with her. "Love For Sale" has melancholy lyrics but the beautiful arrangement and interpretation makes this a very special number. The arrangement gradually gets louder for a crescendo effect--love it!

"They Can't Take That Away From Me" receives careful treatment from Ella as she sings this with panache and excellent diction. Nelson Riddle's arrangement does quite the trick, too. "Midnight Sun" uses the percussion well; and Ella massages the lyrics as only she could to sing this romantic ballad so very well. "Cotton Tail" has Ella scatting and jamming her heart out; she puts all her might into this jazzy, breakneck Duke Ellington number. Stuff Smith really does it well on that violin, too!

The CD ends with "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" by Cole Porter. Buddy Bregman delivers a heavenly arrangement as Ella sings with great sensitivity, grace and confidence. "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" is some strong ending for this album!

The liner notes include a commentary style essay by Geoffrey Mark Fidelman and you get all the song credits with their recording dates as well.

Ella Fitzgerald turned out so many superlative song books that it's not truly possible to create a single CD "best of the song books" album. Too much is omitted; I would have preferred a two CD set for this effort. However, I will give this CD five stars anyway because the high level of quality control impresses me to no end. The quality of the sound is excellent; Phil Schaap did a great job of remastering these songs.

I highly recommend this CD for Ella Fitzgerald fans and for people who want a quick overview of the song book albums Ella recorded in the 1950s and 1960s. People who enjoy classic pop vocals with an occasional jazzy twist would do well to get this album, too.

Thank you forever, Ella Fitzgerald!!!

There is no one like Ella.......2007-01-30

This collection shows, once more, why Ella reigns supreme. As usual, Ella delievrs each song in such an heartfelt, intense, personal way. The accompnaiments on this album are superb as well.

great songs and great singing, but not jazz exactly.......2006-10-11

These Tin Pan Alley songs are the primary source of the jazz standards played by bop instrumentalists; I decided to listen to them in their original settings since I've heard so many improvisations over the chord changes to them. My impression is that the original songs aren't jazz exactly. These cuts do swing at times, but mostly they come off pretty straight, square, and old-fashioned; they belong to that bygone era of American popular culture before rock and roll, to the style of Crosby and Sinatra.

I don't mean to say that these aren't good renditions, only that they aren't what I was expecting. (Connoisseurs of this genre won't find me very helpful, then.) If you like old-time songs from the big band era you will love this album. Fitzgerald was a consummate master of this kind of music, and I really admire her singing here. But if, like me, you hear this disc with hard bop renditions of these tunes in your ears, if you know them because you've heard Clifford Brown and Sonny Rollins playing them, you almost won't even recognize them as presented here. The jazz instrumentalists who improvised over these tunes made them into something very different.

Ella.......2006-03-15

Ella. In this world of 36 Mafia do I have to say more.

Wonderful!.......2005-12-07

Since I discovered Ella & Louis my "musical life" has never been the same. This is the kind of music that makes me wonder how I could have lived so long without. Ella's voice is magic. All of the Best of Verve Songbooks CDs are pure magic. If you like old-fashioned jazz, and you like great voices, you should buy at least 4 or 5 of Ella and/or Louis Armstrong's CDs. Just listen to the audio samples on Amazon.com, and you will find out why, in case you don't know how great they were. These guys were fantastic artists. They should have had 500 more years to live on this planet, and make it a better place with their voices.

Average customer rating: Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook by Ella Fitzgerald no one like Ella... Oh Lady Be Good is BETTER Than Good! MUST HAVE!!!! The Best of the Best....

Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook Ella Fitzgerald Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook The Best of the Song Books The Best of the Song Books: The Ballads Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook ASIN: B000004711 Release Date: 1996-01-30

Tracks:

1. Fascinating Rhythm
2. 'S Wonderful
3. Someone to Watch over Me
4. He Loves and She Loves
5. Oh, Lady, Be Good!
6. A Foggy Day
7. How Long Has This Been Going On?
8. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
9. But for Me
10. My One & Only
11. I've Got a Crush on You
12. Nice Work if You Can Get It
13. The Man I Love
14. Funny Face
15. Embraceable You
16. They Can't Take That Away From Me
17. I Got Rhythm

Amazon.com essential recording

Ella recorded five LPs' worth of Gershwin tunes for her songbook series, which was frankly a little much, so this single disc skims the cream. These songs are the ur-texts of American pre-war pop, straightforward love songs made to flow off a singer's tongue, and here they're in the hands of a master. Nelson Riddle's arrangements tend toward the soupy side--the bombastic string sections are distinctly nonjazz--but Ella, as always, sings with absolute taste and authority. She doesn't seem to be living inside the lyrics the way she does with, say, the Cole Porter songbook, but the simplicity of the Gershwins' melodies and sentiments let her get across some gently nuanced, technically exquisite singing. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook by Ella Fitzgerald.......2007-01-09

I love Ella and I love Gershwin. They're both great! The musical arrangements by Nelson Riddle are another story. They take away from Ella's beautiful voice and misinterpret Gershwin beautiful music. You get over it after a few listenings however and the music is still enjoyable. I guess it's a product of the era it was made in.

no one like Ella..........2004-08-18

frankly, there's no one out there i'd rather hear sing gershwin than ella fitzgerald, and this is an excellent compilation of ella singing some gershwin classics.

however, i was initially disappointed by this cd b/c i'd been searching for an album the showcased ella as opposed to the songs themselves. the highlights of this album are gershwin's songs (and ella does them sweet justice), but if you want a simple collection of ella at her best, in my opinion this isn't it.

Oh Lady Be Good is BETTER Than Good!.......2003-07-11

For those who want to hear Ella weave her magic in crisp, sparkling STEREO this is one of the VERY best of her many CDs. On this one she performs a unique, slow-tempo "Oh Lady Be Good" (that's right, SLOW and MELLOW as you've never heard it before and as only she could do it - and this alone is worth the price of admission). All the other top Gershwin goodies ("A Foggy Day", "But not For Me", "The Man I Love", etc.) are enhanced by Nelson Riddle's incomparable arrangements recorded in magnificent wrap-around sound that puts you right in front row center. So buckle up. This is a thrill-ride you'll want to experience again and again and again!

MUST HAVE!!!!.......2002-10-13

Anyone who enjoys Ella Fitzgerald has to have this album in their collection. Every since I bought it, it's played on a continual basis on my stereo system.You'll appreciate this album as one her her greatest.

The Best of the Best...........2002-09-22

Ella's voice is part of my childhood. She and George Gershwin played my lullabies. Not a bad introduction to music. Even now when I can't sleep I bring her back and let her sing in my head. Was there ever anything as lovely as Ella's voice? Everything falls away except the for the pure magic of her voice, the orchestra soaring...
This CD comes as close to the old "Ella Sings Gershwin" LP my parents had that I have found. Only "Clap a'Yo Hands" is missing. These are songs you love to listen to and love to sing. All my life I'll be grateful that Ella taught me how to sing! How can you not sing when you hear "Someone to Watch Over Me"? "The Man I Love"? How sweet is "I've Got a Crush on You"? I feel like I've just found buried treasure! I've got more Ella recordings that anything else in my collection, but like the CD itself says, "The Best of the Best of the Best of the Best." It's fabulous to have the all these amazing songs on one CD.
I just got myself a great present. You should get one too!

Average customer rating: Absolutely peerless once-in-a-lifetime greatness We love this album Simply great Porgy and Bess

Porgy & Bess Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Porgy and Bess Gershwin: Porgy & Bess [With Members of the Original Cast] Porgy & Bess: High Performance Ella & Louis Again (Dig) George Gershwin - Porgy & Bess / Trevor Nunn · Sir Simon Rattle · W. White · C. Haymon · Glyndebourne Opera ASIN: B0000046Z5 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Summertime
3. I Wants To Stay Here
4. My Man's Gone Now
5. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
6. Buzzard Song
7. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
8. It Ain't Necessarily So
9. What You Want Wild Bess?
10. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
11. Oh, Doctor Jesus
12. Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
14. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
15. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording

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C'mon Kids

Boss Opus 3 [Import]

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, etc. [Import]

A Ghetto Lullaby

Broken Glass

Approved

Glory Hallelujah!!

Requiem: The Holocaust