I am a lover of crooners; having grown up on the music of Nat King Cole has always played a part on my musical tastes in general. There is something to be said for the way artists sang back in those days. Their voice was the backbone of each song, and the smoothness that those artists had is unheard of in modern times. I came upon a Ella Fitzgerald cd one day at the library many years ago, and looking at the standards that were on the album I thought I would give it a try. Little did I know that I would be blown away by a voice unlike anything I had ever heard.
Ella Fitzgerald was born April 25, 1917 and was raised by her mother. She had a rather harsh life in her early years, having lost her mother at a young age, Ella was then taken in by her Aunt. During her late teen years she worked as a lookout at a brothel, and later worked with the Mafia as a numbers runner. After this time she was actually homeless for a while, until she finally got her first singing gig at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. She was soon performing weekly, and had a steady stream of business. The rest shall we say is history, as Ella went on to perform the rest of her life.
Ella is known as “The First Lady of Song.” Her voice is literally one of a kind, being able to span three octaves, she was able to reach notes even opera singers couldn’t reach. As you listen this week be sure and watch as her range can go from hitting the highest note possible, then suddenly turn around and bring out the bass section of her voice. Along with her beautiful tone, Ella is known for her scatting abilities. As Justin Timberlake now a days would improvise a drum solo using only his voice, Ella was able to do the same thing, making up the entire rhythm section of a song. You could say Ella pioneered the way for artists like Justin Timberlake, and the music industry in itself.
Known for her take on the standards, Ella recorded an eight album arrangement of standards over a period of eight years. It is said that these eight albums were” instrumental in establishing the pop album as a vehicle for serious musical exploration,” as stated by the New York Times. When it came down to picking albums to do for this week, it was extremely difficult for me. Her discography is over 100 albums long, so I tried to pick a few compilation albums that really showcase some of her greatest works. I am also including an album of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong duets, as I think these two set the standard for duets by far. The way the two playfully sing off of each other is pure magic. Throughout her career Ella did many duets, and most notably Frank Sinatra is said to have said that Ella was his favorite person to do duets with.
I understand that this style of music is definitely not something most of you listen to on a regular basis, or may have ever listened to in your lifetime. Just try and keep an open mind, and take in the beauty that is Ella’s voice. From her beautiful tone, to her amazing scatting abilities, she is truly one of the greatest woman vocalists in the history of music.
Suggested Listening:
1)Pure Ella
2)The Best of the Song Books
3)Best of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
I also included an amazing video I found on Youtube of Ella doing some live scatting, I definitely suggest you watch it, and maybe it will enhance your appreciation of her abilities.
I am also sorry to neglect Ella’s Christmas album from our listening. Her album “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas” is one of the best Christmas albums I have ever heard, and for anyone who knows me that is saying a lot. So at Christmas time be sure and give that album a shot, and I know you will not be disappointed.
Despite my passion for jazz music, I have never preferred vocals with the arrangements. To me, most jazz vocalists get in the way of the music that speaks quite clear enough on it’s own, but the greats like Billie Holliday, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and this weeks artist Ella Fitzgerald take me to a completely different plane of musical nirvana. Billie and Ella are eerily similar but Ella’s scatting ability and warmer tone makes her the clear standout. We haven’t yet featured a jazz vocalist, so this pick makes lots of sense.
ReplyDelete“Blue Skies” on Pure Ella is the first showcase of Ella’s unmatched ability to scat for 2 minutes straight and not lose your attention for a second. The way she changes octaves in her voice so fast and yet so effortlessly, it’s easy to get completely lost in this unique style that at times is hypnotic. I remember first hearing “Misty” when my mom would play Johnny Mathis records; I’ve since heard numerous versions, but Ella’s sultry and understated version is the best I’ve heard by far. From Beth’s introduction, we know that Ella persevered through a not-so ideal childhood and adolescence and you can hear a weathered, rough tone at times in her voice that endears her even more to me; it’s an earthiness that lacks any pretentiousness and also accentuates her glorious songbird singing. The orchestra accompaniment on “Tea for Two” is tremendous and reminds of why I love the Miles Davis and Gil Evans album Miles Ahead. Many of the songs we hear this week are standards; it takes a great artist to take those standards and make them their own and “My Funny Valentine” is treated with such tenderness and sincerity that I feel like Ella is speaking directly to me. The standout track on this compilation is the live recording of “How High The Moon”, with Ella showing that she could equal and surpass any of her studio recordings in front of a roomful of what had to be awestruck onlookers. Her lung capacity is mind boggling, as she never seems to reach for a breath during this 7 minute jazz masterpiece.
I apologize for the delayed write-up, there were multiple extenuating circumstances this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not a big fan of the ‘standards’ concept, my love for the female vocal gave me hope coming into this week. Ella has a personality and charisma that hooks me in more than any member of the Rat Pack or current day Crooner. Despite my like for her voice and style, my like for the tracks on ‘The Best of the Song Books’ really depended on which song was playing. ‘Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered’ and ‘Love is Here to Stay’ are ones that bores me to death no matter who is singing them and even a vocal as strong as Ella’s doesn’t really have a chance to overcome my boredom. ‘Something’s Gotta Give’, while is still familiar to me from other artists, at least allows her to put her bright personality into it. Throughout the rest of the album, I was very surprised at how few of these I was familiar with from the other artists Beth often plays like Steve Tyrell, Jamie Cullem, Frank Sinatra, and Harry Connick Jr. (Copycat!). ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ did not make any sense to me at all. She is speaking about things she likes in first person, but then states this is why the lady is a tramp, possibly in third person? While this week is meant to focus on Ella, I have to give the band, specifically the horn section, credit on ‘S Wonderful’. ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ really shows off her range and control. It also briefly introduces us to her scat routine which is impressive despite being puzzling. The last half of the album really lacks any form of pizzazz and either belongs in a Disney movie or the Wizard of Oz.
The Pure Ella disk was my favorite album of the week. You get a much better sense of her personality and charisma through the live tracks than you do in the studio tracks. ‘Mack the Knife’ was a really fun song and her Louis Armstrong impersonation was spot on. ‘Blue Skies’ was the first track I heard this week which really featured the scatting. I have to wonder if this was Jonathan Davis’ inspiration for Twist . Again, she is really good at it as it sounds very well controlled and is not from the hip. ‘A Tisket, a Tasket’ was another fun track that screams personality. ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me’ features Louis Armstrong who always reminds me of a bullfrog. ‘Mr. Paginini’ was the first time we get a chance to hear the peak of her octave, which comes at the peak of her story. After listening to ‘Oh Lady Be Good’, I am pretty sure her concert would have kicked Tony Bennet’s ass. Unfortunately the last half was just as lackluster as the previous album for me.
ReplyDeleteThe Best of Ella and Louis kicks off with the most tolerable performance I have heard from Louis. It amazes me how he is able to always be in tune despite the bullfrog factor. Perhaps this is a younger recording for him, but that factor is significantly lower than usual. The song itself, ‘Let’s call the whole thing off’ is a significantly better duet than the one it reminds me of, ‘Baby, It’s cold outside’. On one of my favorite standards in ‘Autumn in New York’, I actually feel there is a significant lack of chemistry between these two. It sounds like they recorded this separately and someone combined them afterwards. ‘Summertime’ however is the complete opposite. I prefer duets when lines are alternated and not entire verses. This album seems to be inconsistent with how they handle alternations. They were both in sync on this one and I also really liked the dark tone for this genre. The only problem I have is the title of the song as you would never pick this one for your summer anthem. Ella’s best vocal was on ‘I Want to Stay Here’. Her range hits both ends of the spectrum with maximum control. ‘There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin Soon’ was my least favorite song title and coincidently performance on the album as well. This was the worst vocal I have heard from Louis and the horn was so weak I think I would prefer Petey from American Pie. Again Ella is the highlight for me, so I prefer the albums without Louis.
Pure Ella for me started off strongly with “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Obviously it’s one that was already familiar to me… but after that not a thing stood out to me on this album.
ReplyDeleteNow I’m not saying it’s bad, because I didn’t find any of the tracks “bad.” I guess there’s just something special about the hook in “Someone to Watch Over Me” that makes it more memorable than the rest.
I can see why Beth likes this music so much – it does feel like Christmas, and I know how much she loves Christmas. It also feels like nostalgia – the Jimmy Stewart kind, not anything I would remember as a child of course, but I like it. It’s still a comforting feeling, one that continues throughout this entire week, even on the tracks I wasn’t already familiar with and the ones I didn’t particularly love. Classy is a great way to describe it.
That being said, it’s nothing I would probably listen to in my car. It may be a little sleepy in that respect, but this music certainly has its place.
Justin was right about one thing – her voice is simply beautiful, and classic - but I said that already. Unlike him, though, I have no interest in jazz regularly (the instrumental kind mostly), but was able to find something in her voice that makes it OK for me this week. Not so much the scatting tho, yuck.
The Best of Songbooks was a little off for me. In one aspect, I like that things have sped up here, but not really to my liking. There’s just something seductive about the way she croons, which turns much cheesier when it’s sped up. Again, this music has got me thinking Christmas - “Elf” specifically, and the tune “I’ve Got Love to Keep Me Warm.” A lot of this would sound great in an old movie soundtrack. One of the reasons for that is the emotion Ella puts into her tunes. “Cotton Tail” is kind of a fun ditty. Yes, I said ditty. Must be this week rubbing off on me… My other favorite track was “Ev’ry time We Say Goodbye.” Again, this is probably because it was already a little familiar to me. It’s just got that hook.
ReplyDeleteBest of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong is a trip back to high school. For any of you who didn’t know, Megan is a huge Louis Armstrong fan. I was never that big a fan of his voice, but it seemed to suit his songs and his genre. So here we go. “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” is a great introduction to the pair, and how their voices go together. They’re such a contrast it works – one a sweet, pretty, angelic voice, and a raspy, rough, masculine voice. “I Want to Stay Here” is a pretty track. The instrumentals make me think of the Wizard of Oz for some reason.
Overall, this was an interesting week. I can see listening to it while sitting around with friends and talking, or around Christmas, or as a movie soundtrack, but never just for listening pleasure. That being said, this is one of those times when I can appreciate the musical quality of something that just doesn’t appeal to the average me aesthetically. Maybe it’s a little too fancy for me to relate. Maybe it’s too reminiscent of a period of time I can barely imagine without popular cinematics because I wasn’t alive then. I can say that the vocals do wonders for a genre of music I would otherwise not really be able to get into. And I’m glad that I’ve now heard more Ella and Louis Armstrong than before. I feel a little more cultured.
P.S. I finally responded to some of your comments on Girl Talk. My bad on the delay.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that outside of listening to Billie Holliday a while back, I've never actually sat down and listened to any female jazz vocalists before this week. I think this is a kind of music that I have to be in a particular mood for...with instrumental jazz I can listen any time, but the romantic, often reflective nature of vocal jazz isn't something I can listen to every day. With that being said, Ella's voice is obviously amazing, and I honestly can't imagine anyone doing this kind of music better. Also, I didn't get a chance to sit down and rate everything this week, so instead of a rating I'll just give a general idea of what I thought of each album.
ReplyDeleteWith 'Pure Ella', there seems to be sort of a miscommunication in what we were actually supposed to listen to. The 'Pure Ella' that I've got is 8 tracks long, and seems to have been released as her first actual album after years of recording singles in 1950. It contains none of the songs that Justin and Thomas wrote about in their reviews. After trying to figure out where they were getting those songs from, it seems that there was an album entitled 'Pure Ella' that is a compilation that was released in 1998....which does contain the songs they were writing about. I've already listened to the original 'Pure Ella', so that's the one I'm going to write about. This album starts out with "Someone to Watch Over Me", which is one of the great jazz standard songs of all time. Ella's vocal performance is so heartfelt, and you can just feel her emotion in every word. The songs on this album are all interpretations of George Gershwin tunes, and for her every single one of them works. Gershwin wrote amazing melodies, and Ella's vocal fits his themes perfectly. This whole album is perfect for a quiet night eating a nice dinner at home. "I've Got a Crush On You" especially is a standout, as Ella matches a twinkling piano composition with a vocal performance on the lower end of her register...it sounds great. Overall this was a fantastic album, as it shows Ella moving away from the "swing" sound that she was so well known for in the 1940's.
"The Best of the Songbooks" is basically just an Ella Fitzgerald greatest hits album, as "The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks" was a 16 disc compilation of pretty much everything she ever recorded. Cherry-picking from the best of those 16 discs, this album definitely has a lot of the highlights. "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is an extremely long track for it's era, and it reminds me of walking through a city on a fall evening....although a lot of this music reminds me of that. "The Lady Is a Tramp" is one of her most famous songs, but it isn't one of my favorites. I don't really like the lyrics all that much, and while that doesn't always bother me too much when the point of the song is largely based on vocal performance, this one does for whatever reason. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is a really good song (even though it contains a very small amount of scatting, which I hate), but the instrumentation is pretty great. It's really hard for me to pick highlights on these albums, as a lot of the tracks have the same basic structure, therefore causing none of them to stick out more than others. For all sounding the same, though, at least it's a good sound to have.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were making music together, it must have been like the equivalent of Michael Jackson and Madonna making an album together. They were possibly the two biggest musical stars of that time (along with Frank Sinatra, of course), and their work together was legendary. As far as Louis Armstrong goes, with a voice like his, it's amazing how accessible he is, and how easy it is to listen to him. With him as a counterpoint to Ella, it made this my favorite album of the week. While not all of the songs feature Louis on vocals, his cornet and trumpet playing works just as well, if not better, than a vocal would. "Stars Fell on Alabama" features an amazing intro cornet performance, and then the vocals start, which raise the song to an even higher level. Louis vocals sitting behind Ella's throughout the song sound absolutely perfect, making this easily one of my favorite songs of the week. "Autumn in New York" is titled exactly like I described this music earlier, and it sounds exactly like it should....which is a good thing. As I said, this was my favorite album of the week, and if I ever get the hankering for some Ella Fitzgerald, this will be the album I put on.
ReplyDeleteThe first few tracks of The Best of The Song Books points to an album that will probably be heavy on the straightforward standards and less of Ella’s scatting. “Love is Here To Stay” is polished nicely with a crisp brass section and Ella’s delicate delivery. “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” would be fine if it were 4 minutes shorter; it’s a bit too sleepy for me. “Miss Otis Regrets” involves interesting subject matter; I found out it was a Cole Porter tune told by a servant recalling murder and her employers demise all stemming from heartbreak. Most artists as popular as Ella would have steered clear of a song as heady as this, but it’s songs like these that truly distanced her from her peers. “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” is an all-time favorite tune of mine that I discovered on Tony Bennett’s Unplugged album; it is honestly one of the most romantic and beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Tony takes the song to new levels of devotion, whereas Ella is lighthearted and a little too playful with it. On the track “Midnight Sun” I hear Ella’s influence on more modern female artists like Anita Baker and Mary J Blige. Fittingly the album is concluded with “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” where Ella’s tone really captures the heartbreak we all feel when someone we truly love leaves us, even if momentarily.
ReplyDeletePutting Ella and Satchmo together made so much sense. They each exuded an infectious playfulness that married harmoniously when they made music together. “The Nearness of You” gave me chills when I first heard it. With Louis’ trumpet interjecting every so often in the distance at the beginning and his subdued, yet earnest verse after Ella’s, this track will be hard to beat as my favorite. There is a vintage that I associate with Louis’ voice, it sends me back to a time when jazz music was really thriving and I picture everything was in black-and-white (I know it wasn’t but old TV and movies have warped my brain) “Autumn in New York” transports me to Gotham where Satchmo and Ella may be sharing a stage in a smoky jazz club, thriving in their element; just pure beautiful nostalgia. The thing I really missed on this compilation was the scatting, Ella all-too briefly scats on “Stompin at the Savoy” and that’s all we get from either her or Louis, which is a shame because I would have loved to hear these too go back and forth. “I’ve Got My Love To Keep me Warm” showcases their layered sound, instead of trading verses, and the duet makes a warm and upbeat tune. I’m very glad nudged us a little further into the jazz realm, as I will be venturing back down this way in the not too distant future. Ella is superb.