Customer Reviews

Lullabies of Birdland

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Five BIG Stars!! This is Ella Fitzgerald, "the First Lady of Song", in a vintage Decca classic from the 1950's that falls into the 'timeless' category. With a hot, swinging big band and the Ray Charles Singers (no, not THAT Ray Charles, but the pop choral and orchestra maestro of some time ago) behind her, Ella unleashes her jazz singing perfection. In particular, Ms Fitzgerald shows why she is considered by many famous composers to be their favorite premier balladeer and by many jazz fans as the female scat-singing all-time champion on this LP upgrading. She was simply able to take a song from theme to scat improvization to bridge improv and back again across an entire song, changing the refrain with each pass, and making it a mesmerizing experience. In the 21st Century world, many jazz singers will give you 15 seconds of scat transition during a song, but not a full 3 to 5 minutes. In the 'old days', Ella, Sarah Vaughn, and Anita O'Day would scat an entire song at the drop of a hat because they were more than singers: they were true jazz musicians. And that defines Ella as we hear her here!

"How High the Moon" is a beautiful quote-laden scat delight, beginning with a fabulous "Poinciana" quote that surges into "Deep Purple" and then Jack Benny's theme "Love in Bloom" and then continues with a kaleidoscope of pop song quotes and pure jazz improvization: all strung together at light speed, flowing from her mind in a thrilling display of jazz scat singing. A truly great performance of what was considered one of her jazz hits. "Lullaby of Birdland" with the Ray Charles Singers, the definitive "Angel Eyes", and "Basin Street Blues" with a great Louis Armstrong imitation, are wonderful ballads that display the idiomatic nuances built-in to her voice. Ella Fitzgerald is truly a major influence not only on a large number of individual singers, like the legendary Dianne Schuur and Brazil's young MPB diva Maria Rita, but groups like Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, and the Sound of Feeling. Some arrangements may sound somewhat dated, but Ella Fitzgerald transcends them and that's what makes this jazz recording: timeless. Bravo, Ella! My Highest Recommendation! Five SCAT-SWINGING Stars.
(This review is based on an Amazon.com MP3 album download.)

Being a huge Ella fan, but one of those who started with her late '50s and '60s output, I too have tried digging in her roots...
To my surprise, at her beginnings (with Chick Webb's orchestra in the 30s) I've found a girlish and hardly sophisticated swing singer, not really hinting at later greatness (Chick Webb allegedly helped her a great deal in her beginnings; he must have had a great ear for tallent)...
On this album, however, we find already mature Ella (although not QUITE the peak performances of her career) - the tracks range from mid 40s to mid 50s showing that she has by now incorporated ellements of be-bop in her style.
She scats profusely and convincingly, doing some other routines I've first heard in later variants (and, sometimes, repetitions), but there's quite enough "pop" material here to suit Ella's wider-than-jazz fan base - including some sweet arrangements, Bill Dogget's organ, Ray Charles Quintet, The Andy Love Quintet and other buck-up musicians and singers.

It goes to show you can have your cake and eat it too, at least sometimees. This is a great jazz album with wider appeal, fool of youthful charm but modern as well, alternately laid back ("Ella Hums The Blues") and intense...
I recommend it highly.

Although I have known about Ella Fitzgerald and her great contribution to jazz, swing and her mastery of scat singing, I did not own a single record by this pioneer! Well, I started with Lullabies of Birdland and it is indeed terrific! Ella Fitzgerald has a beautiful voice and man can she scat sing, definitely will collect more of her works and will explore some Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday also, the "Ladies of Jazz" trifecta!

Ella is a must for all music lovers. She adds that Ella magic to each selection that only Ella could do.

No one can touch that!