Customer Reviews

Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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A masterful performance of the vocal art, superbly arranged by genius arranger Nelson Riddle and brilliantly played by his mostly unidentified orchestra (later Verve releases rectify this omission this problem by giving full band member listings). Many players can be guessed at as Riddle preferred to draw from a solid "stable" of first-rate musicians also heard to good effect on other Ella collaborations as well as recordings with Sinatra, Cole, Garland and many others.

All the songs here are well-chosen standards and like it's sibling album, "Ella Swings Gently with Nelson", are familiar enough to be fun to listen to without being common enough to be overused.

All are interpreted in an upbeat fashion; even "When Your Lover Has Gone" - usually a "downer" in the standards repertoire - is re-invented as a brisk, even joyous, swinger (along the lines of an earlier Riddle arrangement for the delightful Keely Smith).

Ella is consistently fantastic (as always) and her sense of swing is impeccable. Riddle has constructed some top-notch arrangements and is well-served by his orchestra.

Ella's solo vocal performance earned the album a Grammy in 1962. Why Riddle did not receive an Grammy for his arrangements over this period is a crime and a mystery (he finally received due recognition in the early 1980's after fashioning Linda Ronstadt's standards album "What's New?").

This album is a gem of tasteful craftsmanship and smacks of quality from a time when popular music was being mauled by the aural horrors and infantile lyrics of rock n' roll.

A classic album: a must-buy for all fans of Ella, Riddle and of good music in general

From beginning to end, this CD is a swinging masterpiece. The band is terrific; you'll be snapping your fingers, sayin' "yeah, boy!" before you know it.The tracks are a great mixture of standards that everybody knows along with some others that are not as frequently recorded. My particular favorites are "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'" by Duke Ellington and "The Gentleman is a Dope". Ella's got just the right 'tude. And her voice sounds mostly wonderful, too. The recording quality is excellent especially when compared to some other recordings from this era (1962). I would *highly* recommend this CD for anyone trying to select their first Ella CD. It's SO much fun, and not at all "difficult" the way some of her more straight-ahead work might seem.

This is my first Ella CD and I'm just blown away by it. This is such a fun, classy, swinging set that I've played it about 12 times in two days. The band came to play and Ella is just fabulous. Her range, tone and pitch are phenomenal, but the real treat is the joy with which she sings. She makes the heartbreaker, When Your Lover Has Gone, sound like a party. These are swing tunes baby! What a punchy, snappy set.

With Nelson Riddle applying his wealth of experience in arranging, conducting and orchestrating to the peerless vocal prowess of the First Lady of Song, there is nothing left to be desired. Everything in this album is totally spic-and-span, flawless, precise and well-executed, simply put, it's utterly sublime!

Known for his most prolific collaboration with the legendary Ol' Blue Eyes, Riddle shows off his consistently superb chart arrangements to its repertoire of fifteen standards. Ella's remarkable interpretations speak of confidence, cheerfulness and vivacity. Here, she is surely in good hands with Riddle who brings out the very best in her. Each song reveals an incredible luster from the first note to the last. Ella and Nelson have created a gem of an album, "Ella Swings Brightly With Nelson," one of the two albums that Ella recorded in Los Angeles in later part of 1961 with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra under Verve Records originally released in 1962. It was digitally remastered on a CD format and reissued in 1993 with bonus tracks that were not included on the original release.

Ella takes the listeners to her brightest musical moments as she renders some of the most wonderful standards ever written from "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Alone Together" and "I Won't Dance" to a lesser-known "Cheerful Little Earful," a nice song co-written by Ira Gershwin and Billy Rose with the melody composed by Harry Warren.

For fans of Ella, the First Lady of Song, and Nelson Riddle, one of the greatest arrangers/orchestrators America ever produced, this is definitely a welcome addition to your elegantly-decorated vocal jazz collection. Listening to this great CD means taking you back in time when Ella and Nelson were both at the apex of their respective musical careers, so you can't go wrong with this classic recording.

Wholeheartedly recommended for your lovely listening experience.

P.S. A perfect companion to this CD is Ella Swings Gently with Nelson. Please check it out.

Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady of Song, possessed a rare talent that still clearly sets her apart from her contemporaries both past and present. While other "celebrities" have long been buried and forgotten, Ella remains a national treasure and a formidable force in the entertainment industry. It would do younger artists well to study her craftsmanship; and this CD gives us a great place to start.

The CD track set starts with "When Your Lover Has Gone." Ella's excellent diction, smooth as silk delivery and vocal gymnastics showcase her talents on "When Your Lover Has Gone." Nelson Riddle's arrangement shines with sprightly use of the horns; and the percussion works well, too. If you want to hear elegance in motion, listen to "When Your Lover Has Gone." Wow! "Don't Be That Way" glitters with Ella's voice as rich, warm and vibrant as ever. She even scats a bit! I like the piano featured in the arrangement; and the percussion bolsters the number.

Other special numbers on this CD include the stunning "I Hear Music;" this jubilant number gets the royal treatment from Ella and Nelson Riddle. Ella sings her heart out--and Nelson's arrangement makes great use of the horns to give the music a big band style flavor to it. Ella and Nelson sure are swinging on "I Hear Music!" "I Won't Dance" features a flourish of the horns at the very beginning; by the time Ella comes in there's so much style and sophistication to this number you realize this is one of Ella's better CDs! Ella's beautiful voice never misses a note; and the jazzy music in the middle of this number glitters like pure gold!

"I Only Have Eyes For You" gives us an opportunity to hear Ella's passionate yet swinging interpretation of this classic ballad. Ella plays with the tempo of her vocals to make her performance all the better. I really like the use of the horns and percussion, too. What a jubilant number! "The Gentleman Is A Dope" showcases Ella's voice and the horns once again; Ella sings of how the man she would like to have an affair with isn't exactly sophisticated. Nelson's arrangement swings while using the horns, percussion and strings to embellish this number well.

"Mean To Me" explores the pain and confusion Ella's character experiences as she wonders why her man treats her poorly. "Pick Yourself Up" is a relentlessly optimistic ballad infused with swing and high voltage electricity as Ella sings passionately and Nelson employs an arrangement that again sounds like a big band swinging fast and furious--awesome!

The CD also gives us three bonus tracks: "Call Me Darling;" "Somebody Loves Me" and "Cheerful Little Earful." "Call Me Darling" features Ella singing at a slower tempo with style and sensitivity; you will not want to miss this number. "Somebody Loves Me" sports infectiously happy lyrics and the melody is so upbeat that between Ella's magic and Nelson's art you will want to just jump up and start dancing wherever you are! "Cheerful Little Earful" makes the perfect ending for this album; again we get a remarkably joyous ballad what swings so happily that you won't be able to listen to "Cheerful Little Earful" just once!

The liner notes include an informative essay by James Gavin; and the songs credits and recording dates are provided as well. You also get a miniature replica of the back of the record album cardboard jacket with the original liner notes by Benny Green.

Ella Fitzgerald will always be a superstar; her talent will never be outdated. I recommend this CD for Ella Fitzgerald fans; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals will keep this one forever!

I am a great fan of Ella's work. Her work here with Nelson Riddle is a delight as was their other work Ella Sings Gently with Nelson. As Richard Hanlock once wrote Ella's voice is a "joy to hear". "Miss Fitzgerald is without equal. I certainly agree with that evaluation. It was hard to track down this particular recording. So thanks for making it available.

Swing with us, Ella! Oh boy, Ella Fitzgerald and Nelson Riddle together again - what could be better? And the tracks on this album are just fantastic - especially "Don't Be That Way".....Ella is in a class by herself and this is a MUST-HAVE for fans of American music, Ella Fitzgerald and just plain ol' great music.

This CD would be worth buying just to hear Somebody Loves Me. It is the best rendition of this song that I have ever heard. Everybody who hears it says "Wow, what a terrific band! The only fault I can find with the CD is that Ella sounds too happy on sad songs. But nobodys perfect. She got the mood right on the CD, The Intimate Ella and the CD, Like Somebody In Love. At any rate, she still sings better than anybody else.

i still have the lp my dad bought in 1962. for a $100.12. it still a great cd with bonus tracks. old and new ella fan will like it. smile for a while. george wagner.

Questo e' un gran bel disco, ne raccomando l'ascolto. I pezzi sono bellissimi, specie mean to me, love me or leave me, I won't dance e' molto brioso.
L'orchestra e' assolutamente di primo ordine e la voce e l'interpretazione di Ella sono magistrali.
Grande.