Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, Vol. 1

Ella Fitzgerald | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000046UG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,732 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #7 in Music > Pop > Oldies > Tin Pan Alley
  • #45 in Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Classic Vocalists
  • #64 in Music > Jazz > Swing Jazz > General AAS

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

There have probably never been a singer and a songwriter as perfect for each other as Ella and Cole, and this delicious, inexhaustibly delightful album is the pinnacle of Fitzgerald's career, not to mention one of the most likeable records ever made. Porter's songs were wry, sly and as sexy as he could get away with; over Buddy Bregman arrangements that have the good sense to stay out of the way, Ella delivers them with absolute grace and wit, savoring the words' erudite jokes but integrating them into her playful, technically astonishing swing. The Cole Porter Songbook--augmented with three illuminating alternate takes in this rerelease--works as jazz, as Broadway, and as an example of what a great vocalist can do with the right lyric. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PORTER'S LYRICS SANG BY THE FIRST LADY OF SONG!, December 6, 1999

By 

"scotsladdie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

Ella's superb interpretations of Porter's songs are truly something which no lover of popular music can resist; from "Begin the Beguine" to "Love for Sale"(v.II) these songs are timelessly sophisticated and no one can sing them as beautifully as Ella! A must!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars she's the top, June 5, 2000

By 

"pspa" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

With the exception of Miss Otis Regrets which is too slow for my taste, these songs are all sung impeccably. The combination of Porter's incredibly witty and daring lyrics, great arrangements, and Ella's crystal clear voice and brilliant phrasing make for a great record. She may not be emotional like Billie Holiday but in my book between the purity of the voice and her timing and phrasing noone does it like Ella (for example, in Always True to You in My Fashion Ella just KNOWS that the key verse is the one beginning "There's an oilman known as Tex" so she gives it a different emphasis. The sound quality is phenomenal too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Lady of Song and Great American Songwriter, March 31, 2000

By 

Donald Beale - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

Ella's first album in the celebrated Songbook series done for Verve is still one of my favorites. Who could resist Ella's pure voice coupled with Cole Porter's wonderful melodies? The warmth and sweetness of Ella's voice comes through in "All Through the Night," "Do I Love You?," and her incomparable rendition of "Miss Otis Regrets." Other songs swing, such as "Anything Goes" and "Too Darn Hot." I've heard criticisms that the orchestra fails to match the top-notch arrangements of some of the later Songbooks accompanied by other bandleaders, but Buddy Bregman is no hack. The real stars here are Ella and Cole Porter. I never hear one of these songs performed without comparing it to Ella's version. This album is timeless and beautful.