for Ella

Patti Austin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 21, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Playboy Jazz
• ASIN: B000063ULX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,035 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #14 in Music > Indie Music > Pop > Adult Contemporary

Editorial Reviews

Vocal diva Patti Austin delivers a soulful, moving tribute to America's first lady of song, Ella Fitzgerald. Backed by the swinging WDR Big Band and String Orchestra and featuring new arrangements by Grammy Award-winning arranger Patrick Williams. 13 tracks including 'Too Close For Comfort', 'Honeysuckle Rose' & 'Satin Doll'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A swinging love letter to Miss Ella!!, June 3, 2002

By 

B. J. Lane "jazzbo" (Levittown, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: for Ella (Audio CD)

Being a huge Ella fan, I had no choice but to grab this new CD in which Patti pays her own loving, yet swinging homage. As far as I'm concerned, this deserves much more than 5 stars!!!

Thanks to the slam-dunk big band/string charts fashioned by that arranger extraordinaire, Patrick Williams, Patti smacks this one right out of the ballpark. Ella put her stamp on thousands of songs throughout her career, but included herein are the creme de la creme of her repetoire, such as "Mr. Paganini" and "How High the Moon" (both sung note for note exactly as Ella recorded them), "The Man I Love," "Too Close for Comfort" (with some explosive scatting in the out chorus), and so on.

One track that will surely get lots of play on my stereo is "Hearing Ella Sing," written by Patrick Williams and Arthur Hamilton (the man who wrote "Cry Me a River" for Julie London).

Kudos to the aforementioned Mr. Williams (fast becoming one of my favorite arrangers), Gregg Field for his explosive drumming and co-producing, and the WDR Big Band and Orchestra for such superb backing that ought to make the Hollywood studio elite take notice.

With this CD, Ms. Austin demonstrates that she can do much more than R&B and pop...this is a must for her fans, as well as those who dig great jazz singing - Ella, we'll never let you go!!!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miss Ella Regrets Patti Austin Took so Long to sing her tune, July 24, 2003

By 

prisrob "pris," (New England USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: for Ella (Audio CD)

Patti Austin well known to many of us, or then again maybe not so well known to us as the best commerical ad singer in the business. It paid the bills, and then she could sing her heart out in front of the crowds. This album, a love song to Ella, is the best I've heard. My favorites are "Miss Otis Regrets" and "Hard Hearted Hannah", belted out in true Patti Austin style. Her voice is lush and smooth- warming the tendrils of the heart. Patti seems to have waited a life time for this CD, and it is well worth it. The arrangements are superb as is the big band. A CD worth its weight in gold.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patti Hits A Homerun -- WOW and DOUBLE WOW !!!, April 12, 2004

By 

Peter (East of Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: for Ella (Audio CD)

I have Patti Austin's tribute to her idol, Ella Fitzgerald "For Ella", pumping thru the speakers now as I'm typing this review. Patti Austin is one of those rare songbirds who always manages to elevate the material she's singing. But on those rare occasions when she's given first-rate material (like on this CD), she is simply on another planet and very few jazz/R&B artists today can touch her vocally.

Obviously "For Ella" is a project very close to Patti's heart. You can tell every note and vocal gesture here is classy, heartfelt, and top-notch vocally. "For Ella" was nominated for a 2002 Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Performance", yet Patti sadly lost to Dianne Reeves (who won a third Grammy). It escapes me how Grammy voters could have overlooked this CD and awarded Dianne Reeves another Grammy. Patti really pulls out all the stops -- she does vocal acrobatics swooping from high to low and back up there with so much ease. Her scatting is also first rate.

It's only natural that Patti Austin chose to dedicate this CD to Ella Fitzgerald. There have been many tributes to Ella over the years since her passing in 1996, but this one really comes closest to capturing her spirit. Of course there is only one Ella Fitzgerald and no one can ever replace her, but Patti is simply superb and she makes no missteps here. Every song is wisely selected to show off her gorgeous voice. The swing band packs a wallop and gives many songs that extra "Ooomph". There is also a nice balance between the "swingers" and ballads, both superbly handled by Patti and her band.

If Amazon had a 10-star rating system, I'd give it the full 10 stars here. This CD is a MUST for any jazz vocal lover and fan of Ella/Patti. You are missing out on a great musical experience if you pass this one up.