Customer Reviews

Mack the Knife: The Complete Ella in Berlin

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was in 10th grade, and read a review of this in ..., which I was not supposed to be reading at all. I bought it because I wanted to be like Hugh Hefner and like jazz and be cool, instead of what I was, a nerdy shy kid who had not bloomed and whose family was more "upper poor" than "lower middle class." It was 1960. When I listened to Ella, singing in Berlin, the focal point of the Cold War, standards like "How High the Moon" and "Mack the Knife" and "Too Darn Hot" I just transcended my immediate environment and for 40 minutes I was worthy of that ...Magazine. Imagine this orphan black woman, holding the concert stage in Germany only 15 years after the Nazi disaster, and having her audience eating out of her hand. Remarkable event, memorably preserved. Read all the reviews, then decide if this is worth adding to your CD shelf. I know MY decision!

Yes, you heard it right. I know I will get hate mail for saying this, but I will go out on a limb to say Ella has produced BETTER live recordings captured on CD elsewhere. This is no reflection that her Berlin concert was bad. Perhaps Ella has been a victim of her own brilliance for always achieving near perfection in her live performances.

Listening to this CD, the obvious highlight is the oft talked about title track, "Mack the Knife", where Ella forgot the lyrics a minute into the song and made up the rest of the words without skipping a beat and perfectly improvising to the song's melody a la Fitzgerald. It's a miraculous feat that has entered the jazz hall of fame and folklore as one of the greatest moments not only in jazz, but in music history. "Mack the Knife" solidified Fitzgerald's standing in the music biz for the rest of her life, helping her escape the shadow of overwhelming sentiment and praise for Billie Holiday after Lady's premature death from a lifetime of drug and emotional abuse. The other great track here is the 8-minute track "How High the Moon" that Ella scats with a frenetic, pulsating charm that leaves you breathless at the finish line.

But aside from these two standout tracks, the rest of the CD isn't all that memorable. The marvels of modern CD technology has unmasked a detected fatigue in Ella's voice that she somehow cannot hide. Maybe it was the killer tour schedule (mentioned in liner notes) that did her in, but it's definitely noticeable. If you're mostly curious about the two great tracks, "Mack the Knife" and "How High the Moon", I would recommend purchasing those tracks elsewhere on many of Ella's compilations (Compact Jazz on Verve being one). For the best Ella live recording, I strongly recommend "Ella in Rome: the Birthday Concert", which is still in print and captures a fresh, invigorating Ella nailing down 15 outstanding tracks (though no "Mack the Knife" on that one).

I love Ella Fitzgerald, and I rarely do I go a day without listening to an Ella CD since I've been introduced to her outstanding talent. I went out on a whim and bought this album, expecting great Ella as usual. But how wrong I was! I have never been so crazy about an album as I am about this one. Every song is out of this world and the accompaniment is just as wonderful. Standouts include "That Old Black Magic", "Too Darn Hot", and my personal favorite "How High the Moon?" Whoever said Ella lacks feeling in her delivery needs to listen to this album, and recognize that melodrama does not always equal feeling. Ella epitomizes sunniness and spontaneity in this live album that I wouldn't give anything less than five stars. If you love Ella, do yourself a favor and buy this album -- thinks ranks as one of her top recordings.

This is arguably the most famous live performance in jazz, and with good reason. This is Ella at her peak. Arriving in Berlin, performing at the Deutschlandhallen, this album runs the full dynamic gamut. On the one hand, it contains a subtle "Summertime" where her melodic embellishments are absolutely inspired. But then Ella, now in the home of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, decides to fill the set with "Mac the Knife," recently made a hit by both Bobby Darrin and Louis Armstrong. When the words come unraveled before her, her improvisation is awe-inspiring. This is directly followed with the definitive live "How High the Moon," complete with an 8 minute scat that is unequalled. This reissue is somewhat marred by the presence of two tracks mistakenly thought to have been part of the performance, but which are of a noticeably different character. Nonetheless, amazing.

if I could give this 50 stars, I would.

Ella's voice is truly nonpareil, and while I wasn't immediately in love with every song on the album, the legendary Mack the Knife, Too Darn Hot, The Lady is a Tramp, and How High the Moon kept me playing it again and again.

Many years later, I love every single song and this is still my favorite of my Ella cds (and I have a lot of them!), the one I play the most. It puts me in a good mood every time.

Her crystalline voice is always spectacular, but in a live setting, as pointed out by others, her creativity and scatting ascend to stellar heights. And there's an added quality of warmth in her voice not captured on studio recordings.

When I was in high school (30 years ago?), I had the chance to meet Ms. Fitzgerald. She was truly a gracious woman, and, as another reviewer pointed out, so truly humble in the face of her awesome talent. When I told her I listened to Mack the Knife every night before I went to bed, she said, "Don't do that, honey, it'll give you nightmares," and said she was also happy to hear when young people enjoyed her music.

I am listening to How High the Moon right now. Amazing.

If you haven't heard this cd, you are not just missing out on a legendary album and piece of music history, but a wonderful and joyous listening experience.

An absolutely incredible album. Arguably the best Ella Fitzgerald CD, definitely the best live concert. In all my 71 Ella Fitzgerald CDs, I've only heard about 5 or 6 songs that rank higher on my list than "How High The Moon", "Mack the Knife", or "Summertime".
What makes this recording truly stand out is Ella's consistency. She is vocally at the peak of her powers, and each of the songs she sings here is the best Ella version that exists. This is true not only of the title and HHtM, but of The Man I Love, Too Darn Hot, The Lady is a Tramp, and especially Lorelei. These songs are also available on her studio Songbook Series, but in this live context Ella brings out the interpretation more honestly. Although her songbooks are excellent and define dozens of standards, it is obvious that in concert, Ella was choosing the songs most suited to her approach. If you take one CD on a desert island, make it this one!

P.S. E-mail me if interested in my top 10 Ella tracks (which may vary as I continue to collect!)

Ella Fitzgerald is even better live than in the recording studio.
This album showcases Ella in what I feel is her most comfotable setting; with a small band and live audience.

You can feel the love the fans have for Ella even before she starts singing and as she sings through each song in this live set. Ella's humble manner comes across as well as she daintily thanks the crowd for the thunderous applause that she receives after each song.

Ella's scat on How High the Moon is at its peak. She always loved volleying back and forth with the band members to see who could out-scat who.

But the shining star on this album by far is Mack The Knife. Ella's rendition is memorable since half-way through the song, she forgets the words, but still makes it work and takes the song to a new level by launching into an impromptu Louie Armstrong scat impersonation which sends the audience through the roof!

This is one of the best live albums I have ever owned. Ella, Live at the Opera House, is a close second, but Live in Berlin gets my vote.

This is a must-have Ella record. All of it is very good, but the version of "Mack The Knife" is staggering. Ella is performing this new tune live in Berlin, the home town of authors Kurt Weill and Bertholt Brecht while Bobby Darin and Louis Armstrong were charting wtih very popular versions of their own. It's a true testament to her talent as an entertainer that she won the Grammy (not Bobby or Louis) for a version WHERE SHE FORGOT MOST OF THE WORDS and improvised brilliantly! Truly one of the most remarkable vocal performances ever to win a Grammy.

I have been an Ella Fitzgerald fan for about 40 years. The album "Mack the Knife", for me, is THE most sublime Ella recording there is, in terms of the amount of fun she had obviously had doing this performance. There are others, of course, such as The Birthday Album, wherein her voice was absolutely marvelous, but, again, for me, it will always be "Mack the Knife - Ella in Berlin." Thanks for the opportunity to submit this review.

This album is the supreme example of Ella live and in her prime, and when Ella was in her prime, SHE WAS GOD! In my opinion, the "complete" version is not essential. The amazing tracks on this CD begin with a swinging and breezy "Gone With the Wind", and include elegant versions of "Misty" and "Summertime", as well as fiesty performances of "Too Darn Hot", "The Lady is a Tramp", and "Loreli". The final two tracks will absolutely blow you away -- an improvised "Mack the Knife" immediately followed by a tour de force of scat on "How High the Moon". There has never been as great a vocalist as Ella and this is one of her top recordings. I agree with the other reviewers -- this is a must have!