Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook, Vol. 1

Ella Fitzgerald | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000046J6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,816 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great album for a first-time listener with Ella at her best!, May 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

This album is a good mix of music that most people will know and like. It is a wonderful representation of Ella's vocal range, flexibility as well as her inherent ability to inject emotion into a song. This was the first disc I heard of hers and it remains my favorite.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice, good old songs to enjoy!, September 29, 2009

By 

Margaret H. Alderfer (Pottstown, Pennsylvania USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

I was pleased to be able to hear some oldies & goodies sung by this terrific lady. I give it a 2 thumbs up review!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ella and Harold's shining hour, March 5, 2009

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

Ella Fitzgerald's Volume 1 of The Harold Arlen Songbook has terrific songs on it that will move you and impress you with Ella's versatility and vocal talent as well as Harold Arlen's ability to compose timeless music. Harold Arlen ranks high in my book; he was one of the best composers of the entire twentieth century although he isn't remembered as much, perhaps because he never teamed up with any one lyricist for very long. Nevertheless, you can't get better than the Harold Arlen's music here and Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady Of Song, does great justice to these ballads. The album clearly demonstrates Ella's superlative talent which will forever keep her firmly in that very exclusive "club" as one of the best female vocalists--ever.

"Blues In The Night," a wonderful Harold Arlen number about women who need to watch out for men who aren't true to them, gets the royal treatment from Ella who swings gently to make this number all her own. The orchestration is just right and it makes great use of the brass. "Let's Fall In Love" is clearly a more upbeat number that Ella coos with her wondrous femininity; she never falters and she doesn't sing a superlative note, either! I believe "Stormy Weather" was first sung by Lena Horne in "Cabin In The Sky;" and Lena must have been proud of Ella's sublime interpretation of this classic pop vocal tune. "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" boasts a great arrangement and Ella swings brightly as she delivers this with a lot of POW!

"Hooray For Love" is quite pretty and the melody is quite catchy; that jazzy arrangement enhances the ballad even further. "That Old Black Magic" was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer when Mercer had a crush on Judy Garland--thus "That Old Black Magic" actually refers to Johnny's feelings about Judy's charms and romantic appeal to him. In addition, "I've Got The World On A String" is relentlessly happy and upbeat; Ella sings this with a tempo that is somewhat slower than I'm used to hearing but it still holds its own very well and that's grand.

"Let's Take A Walk Around The Block" is not exactly Harold Arlen's best known number although Ella sings this beautifully. Ella makes this sound like the sweetest song you've ever heard! Listen also for a marvelous rendition of "Ill Wind (You're Blowin' Me No Good);" "Ill Wind (You're Blowin' Me No Good)" never sounded better as Ella's strong voice (yet oh, so feminine) lets her perform this with panache. It's quite memorable! The CD ends with Ella Fitzgerald singing her heart out on that very popular classic tune entitled "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive." Many others have recorded "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" but Ella's version is my very favorite--just listen and you'll be able to tell why I like it so much.

Ella Fitzgerald scores yet another goal with these wonderful ballads; she delivers them wearing her heart on her sleeve and her voice never ceases to mesmerize me. I highly recommend this for Ella's fans and people who enjoy quality music from Harold Arlen will cherish this for a long time to come. If you like this CD then you should also get Volume 2 of Ella singing The Harold Arlen songbook or you can buy the two CD set if you prefer.