Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book (1957) VBR

Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book VBR

Year 1957

Disc 1
1. Rockin' In Rhythm 5:19
2. Drop Me Off In Harlem 3:51
3. Day Dream 3:59
4. Caravan 3:54
5. Take The "A" Train 6:42
6. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues 4:42
7. Clementine 2:39
8. I Didn't Know About You 4:13
9. I'm Beginning To See The Light 3:26
10. Lost In Meditation 3:28
11. Perdido 6:13
12. Cotton Tail 3:25
13. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me 7:41
14. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' 3:33
15. Solitude 2:07
16. Rocks In My Bed 3:57
17. Satin Doll 3:28
18. Sophisticated Lady 5:21
Disc 2
1. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me) 4:17
2. It Don't Mean A Thing 4:15
3. Azure 2:23
4. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart 4:11
5. In A Sentimental Mood 2:47
6. Don't Get Around Much Anymore 5:02
7. Prelude To A Kiss 5:29
8. Mood Indigo 3:28
9. In A Mellow Tone 5:12
10. Love You Madly 4:42
11. Lush Life 3:41
12. Squatty Roo 3:42
13. I'm Just A Lucky So And So 4:15
14. All Too Soon 4:24
15. Everything But You 2:57
16. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) 6:15
17. Bli-Blip 3:03
Disc 3:
1 I'm Just a Lucky So and So 04:12
2 All Too Soon 04:22
3 Everything But You 02:53
4 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) 06:11
5 Bli-Blip 03:01
6 Chelsea Bridge 03:20
7 Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald: Royal Ancestry/All Heart/Beyond Category 16:10
8 The E and D Blues (E for Ella, D for Duke) 04:48
1957: Ella Fitzgerald, jazz's best singer, records the songs of Duke Ellington, jazz's best composer. Duke and Ella never sound better. His orchestra is at its most elegant yet at its most swinging, her voice's is in its best form, so harmonically, rhythmically, and tonally sophisticated. Jazz's greatest event is happening. It is "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook," and it is too great to let pass you by.
Alright, this is all true. With Duke's big band behind her, Ella was divine. She was even classier with his suberb small groups. Most of all, it showed both of their eclecticism. Duke was still overlapping rhythms, harmonies, tones, and different musical styles to their most mesmerizing effect. Ella was at her career peak at Verve Records. And for the record: Any of the songwriters she covered in the classic Songbook Series never sounded as awesome. She's the glue that provokes the Ellington Orchestra to outdo themselves once again. Their repertoire of jungle music, unique swing songs, lesser known songs, and more experimental songs is covered, and Ella fits these songs like a lace glove. Part of her incredible genius is her ability to adapt any type of music to her ebullient voice. (On the video of PBS's American Masters special about Ella, listen to her short takes on country and soul in a London Club. Dang!)
In comparison to the rest of Ella's stellar career: "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook" is her peak. It is the centerpiece in her career's greatest period at Verve Records and the landmark Songbook Series. Of all of them, it's the most jazz-oriented. All of her Songbook albums are first-rate, yet this is the best.
And it's also a taste of heaven, too good to let pass you by when you're alive. Get it now.
And hey, Chick Webb's orchestra was one of swing's greatest bands, but what if she had spent a part of her career in Duke's orchestra? That might have been even better. And even she didn't, isn't this album more than enough?