Ella
Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings Irving Berlin [album]
“No
superlative would be too over the
top to describe the fantastic experience
as Ella Fitzgerald Sings Irving Berlin...”
JUST HOW DO YOU DEFINE ELLA FITZGERALD with her gorgeous, rich and deeply
resonating voice that lifts any song out of the norm? Making singing sound so
effortless, Ella is singing the wonderful classic songs of Irving Berlin —
how about that? Things can only get better.
Ella Fitzgerald's Songbook series of albums is rightly famed as being
among the greatest vocal jazz ever and The Irving Berlin Songbook
is one of the best. Featured in its entirety, along with bonus tracks, this
joins the Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hart Ella Fitzgerald releases on CD.
Containing all the songs featured on one of the best-selling jazz albums of
all time — Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Songbook
— this CD features 31 original tracks plus seven bonus tracks that
were released around the same period and all the original recordings have been
digitally remastered. The classic 1958 album by the American jazz singer —
with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Paul Weston —
focuses on the songs of Irving Berlin and won a Grammy Award in 1959 for Best
Vocal Performance, Female.
All-time popular songs such as the wonderfully dynamic opener, Let's Face
The Music And Dance, the remarkable favourite Puttin' On The Ritz,
the meaty and generous Let Yourself Go and the upbeat Alexander's
Ragtime Band provide Ella with an opportunity to dance her vocals around
each track with evident enjoyment.
Taking each note and making it crystal clear, Ella drops the tempo with the
poignant How About Me? where she is totally in control as her long, drawn-out
vocals tug at the heartstrings. Russian Lullaby is haunting and is given
the full Ella treatment.
Ella Fitzgerald sings Irving Berlin at her absolute best; sailing through track
after dazzling track in her own inimitable style, splendidly and confidently
creating patterns of musical harmony. She slips easily between tracks —
including the popular Cheek To Cheek, I Used To Be Colour Blind or
How Deep Is The Ocean — and on the bonus tracks she is joined by the
equally-esteemed Louis Armstrong, whose deep, gravelly vocals give the songs
a new dimension.
Memorable numbers also include: You Keep Coming Back Like A Song, Reaching
For The Moon and the fun, easy-listening Slumming On Park Avenue.
One of our favourites, Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil, is a marvellous
track. Backed by the Chick Webb Orchestra, it is both vocally and musically
perfect.
And who could forget Isn't This A Lovely Day, I'm Putting All My Eggs
In One Basket, All By Myself or I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm?
This is rich, glorious and trademark Ella.
• Ella
Fitzgerald Sings Irving Berlin is out now on the Jazz Manifesto Label in
two-disc CD format, coinciding this year (2009) with the 30th anniversary of
the death of Irving Berlin. Catalogue No: 38292 | RRP: £5.99.
Tracklisting
CD1 — 1 Let's Face The Music And Dance | 2 You're
Laughing At Me | 3 Let Yourself Go | 4 You Can Have Him |
5 Russian Lullaby | 6 Puttin' On The Ritz | 7 Get Thee Behind
Me, Satan | 8 Alexander's Ragtime Band | 9 Top Hat, White Tie
And Tails | 10 How About Me | 11 Cheek To Cheek | 12 I
Used To Be Colour Blind | 13 Lazy | 14 How Deep Is The
Ocean | 15 All By Myself | 16 Remember
Bonus tracks — 17 Isn't This A Lovely Day (Ella Fitzgerald
& Louis Armstrong; from Ella And Louis) | 18 I'm Putting All My Eggs
In One Basket (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong; from Ella And Louis)
| 19 I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong;
from Ella And Louis).
CD2 — 1 Suppertime | 2 How's Chances | 3 Heatwave
| 4 Isn't This A Lovely Day | 5 You Keep Coming Back Like A Song |
6 Reaching For The Moon | 7 Slumming On Park Avenue | 8 The
Song Is Ended | 9 I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket | 10 Now
It Can Be Told | 11 Always | 12 It's A Lovely Day Today |
13 Change Partners | 14 No Strings (I'm Fancy Free) | 15
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Bonus tracks — 16 I Never Had A Chance (from Like
Someone In Love, 1958) | 17 Cheek To Cheek (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis
Armstrong; from Ella And Louis) | 18 Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The
Devil (with Chick Webb Orchestra, 1938) | 19 Everybody Step (with
Chick Webb Orchestra, 1938).
"The only thing better than singing is more singing" — Ella Fitzgerald
"Ella Fitzgerald sings Irving Berlin at her absolute best; sailing
through track after dazzling track in her own inimitable style, splendidly and
confidently creating patterns of musical harmony" — Maggie Woods,
MotorBar
• Ella
Fitzgerald: The Best Of Rodgers & Hart (26571) and Ella Fitzgerald Sings
Cole Porter (26542) are both also available in the Delta range.
