Best of Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song

Ella Fitzgerald | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 1994)
• Original Release Date: October 18, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000046VU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,866 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love the human voice, you need this cd!, August 8, 2000

By 

"jazzfanmn" (St Cloud, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song (Audio CD)

This is one of the finest collections one can buy as a "greatest hits" in recorded music. The cd kicks off with a hard swinging big band propelled "Too Young for the Blues", moves to a wonderful duet with Louis Armstrong, and takes you through a beautiful tour of settings and styles. Duets with Oscar Peterson and Armstrong, big band numbers with Duke Ellington and Count Basie, soulful slow numbers like, "Angel Eyes", "Lush Life", "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered", and lush blues like "Just A-sittin' and A-rockin'" with the silky smooth tenor of Ben Webster will have you hitting the repeat button and leaving it. I challenge anyone to listen to Ella's flawless scat on "Blues Skies" to keep their toes from reflexivly tapping. Looking for an intro to one of American music's treasures? Look no further, here it is!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Splendid Example of Ella's Talent, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Best of Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song (Audio CD)

I bought this cd in the discount rack (sorry, Amazon). My first Fitzgerald cds were the Cole Porter songbooks. I was very surprised to discover I like this cd even better. In this cd, Ella demonstrates her strongest qualities: the beautiful voice and treatments designed to get the most out of the song (as opposed to treatments designed to show off the vocalist the most). The variety of arrangements and musicians give this cd its specialness, however. The variety of sounds makes every song a treat. The Armstrong duets are especially great. I might buy the Fitzgerald/Armstrong cd next.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Place to Start, September 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Best of Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song (Audio CD)

The market is flooded with "Best of Ella" compilations, but this one really lives up to its title. The performances *and* the production are consistently excellent -- something you can't always count on when a label decides to pick through old master tapes for an artist retrospective. On this album, Ella performs with the Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nelson Riddle orchestras, with small groups led by Ben Webster and Louis Armstong, and in a simple duet with Oscar Peterson on piano. The level of talent on this CD is astounding. If you own no Ella Fitzgerald recordings, you must stop whatever else you are doing immediately and buy this CD. Everyone needs something of such rare, pure beauty in their life.