Customer Reviews

The Best of the Song Books: The Ballads

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This is the first cd I ever bought of Ella. I was doing a musical tour of great singers and decided to give her a chance. I found myself listening only to this cd, over and over. I couldn't believe that there was someone so good that I didn't know. My favorite song on the cd (and this is hard choice) is "Travelin' Light." Incandescent. Tender. Achingly pure. This cd is a really good place to start learning about Ella the ballad singer versus Ella the scat singer. Well worth the investment!

I've been purchasing the "Best of--" CD editions as back-ups to my original vinyl copies of the "Songbooks." If you're not about to purchase the individual reissues of the Songbooks, this collection--"Ballads"--is not only the most accurately described (all of the tunes are, in fact, taken at "ballad" tempo) but the most carefully selected and artistically consistent of the anthologies. Most of the arrangements are Nelson Riddle's, and one of the exceptions, Duke's "Do Nothing Til You Hear from Me," features sterling solos by both Ben Webster and Stuff Smith. My only regret is that "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" was not one of the inclusions on this particular collection. But along with the familiar classics, such as "I'm Old Fashioned," are some rarely heard, all-too-welcome revelations, including Irving Berlin's "Now It Can Be Told."

Whereas the other "Best of--" albums contain exemplary material, they also have a "text book" quality--strong, faithful renditions of tunes that other singers have left a more personal stamp on. Not so this album. It's Ella's alone.

If this outstanding Ella Fitzgerald ballads collection was released at her peak, rather than cherry-picked 40 years later from a box set of her legendary songbooks, it would hold together in the light of "blue" period Sinatra albums as Sinatra's "Only The Lonely" or "Wee Small Hours." That testifies to near-perfect song selection, empathetic arrangements (including Nelson Riddle, Billy May and, of course, Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington) and Ms. Fitzgerald's voice and approach to this material.

Unjustifiably neglected for her balladry compared to oft-labelmate Billie Holiday, Ella treats the melodies here like a painter does glass: carefully, but creatively. No scat-shouting "Lady Be Good"; Ella's "Easy To Love" draws the sweet seduction from Cole Porter's lyric that more swinging arrangements miss. Her languid, sanguine versions of "Day-Dream" and "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me" (more than seven minutes!) find Ella cherishing the moments spent with the ballad form. She even shows a touch of syncopation playfully swinging "I'm Old Fashioned" and Jerome Kern's "Let's Begin," both Riddle arrangements.

"Ballads" salutes Ella's clear, warm voice more than what she could do with it. This makes the collection an essential first purchase for those interested in her career or the jazz singing form itself.

No one sings like Ella. Her voice is a warm instrument in itself, and she flows through this set in comfortable perfection. This and the two other 'Best of the Songbooks' albums are simply outstanding. 'Oh Lady Be Good' and 'I'm Old Fashioned' are especially heartfelt -- listen to the range and enunciation on both. Every note she hits sounds like it's smack in the center of her comfort zone. 'There's a Small Hotel', more obscure, is magnificent -- with a tasteful arrangement and rich performance by Buddy Bregman's orchestra -- treasureable.

Ella has been appreciated for a long time, but in the context of modern popular she is untouchable. Even after you've heard it a hundred times, each song is a discovery. An Ella album in the evening is like a glass of the best wine after a day of Coke and water.

They don't get much better than Ella Fitzgerald and her 'Song Books'. This selection of ballads taken from that series is a delicious taste of classic 'romantic' standards by some of America's great composers sung by one of America's truly great singers. Each one is timeless. Her inflection is flawless, the orchestrations are luxurious and every song is a jewel to be savored and enjoyed for it's sensual tone. This in not Ella Fitzgerald in her 'be-bopping' mode; it is, rather, a more reflective, lush style of singing. This is a fantastic CD for anyone interested in Ella, anyone interested in great songs.......or anyone interested in classic 'make out' music.

Ella Fitzgerald has, without a doubt, the purest voice recorded. This album captures that purity and shows us that, not only is she the best, but timeless as well. If you've not had the pleasure of experiencing her yet, this is a fantastic 'starter' album. "Oh, Lady Be Good" and "How long Has This Been Going On?" are two of my favorite tracks on this CD. Truth be told, it is difficult to pick favorites, as everything she sings is perfection. This is an album you can't go wrong with. No one needs to say, "Oh, Lady Be Good", to Fitzgerald, as she is always more than good...she's "Easy To Love" as track #5 tells us.

If you don't already own any Ella Fitzgerald recordings, you should buy all three in this "Best of the Songbooks" collection. Ella shows us how jazz is to be sung.

Verve has certainly been imaginative in coming out with a series of Ella recordings compiled under some equally interesting groupings, with this one being under "Ballads". True, most of the songs here qualify as slow burners, but for any Ella fan, it's disjointing hearing these songs out of their original context. All the songs here are culled from Ella's various "Songbook" series done back in the late '50s and early '60s, dedicating each songbook to a particular famous writer. This is just another marketing gimmick by Verve to come up with another CD compilation to rake in the bucks. But for any casual jazz listener, this may well be a good starting point to one of jazz's greatest voices, if not the BEST, ever. Sound quality is beyond reproach, for most of the annoying hisses and bad scratches have been scrupulously avoided. If you don't mind having your Ellington titles mixed up alongside your Gershwin and Cole Porter tunes, then this is a good set to begin. If you're a serious Ella fan, I would recommend getting the songbook series if you can afford it, especially the newly remastered versions put out by Verve/Universal in the last few years.

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.

with so many ella cds in release, you may be confused about where to start;start here.this was my first ella cd and about 60 cds later ella and i are still going stong.(i just pre-ordered ella sings broadway).this is one compilation that is good enough to stand alone,though you soon won't be able to get enough ella.i wanted to name my favorite selections but find that i can't.the entire cd is perfect and it will always hold a special place in my heart.enjoy.