Customer Reviews

Sings Rodgers & Hart Song Book

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Although neither the first nor the most fêted of Ella Fitzgerald's Songbooks, this collection drawn from the huge output of Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers is unquestionably the best. What sets the Rodgers and Hart Songbook apart from the other albums in the series that Ella recorded for Norman Granz's Verve label, quite simply, is the quality of the material that she had to work with. Her voice was such a magisterial instrument and her command of the expressive power of words so subtle that she seldom performed anything which drew on the full scope all her abilities. In the course of this double album, we get to see every facet of her talent. With Hart and Rodgers, Ella's enormous generosity of spirit, her love for song and for singing, her sheer humanity are put wholeheartedly at the disposal of very great music. Make no mistake, this is a desert island album. Richard Rodgers is most widely known for his nicely conceived but largely undemanding settings of the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein - above all, perhaps, in 'Oklahoma' and 'The Sound of Music.' However, it has been recognised by many, especially jazz musicians, that Rodgers' earlier work with Lorenz Hart shows the full measure of his talents. When he worked with Hammerstein, the lyrics came first: the notoriously elusive Hart, on the other hand, preferred to write words for tunes that had already been composed. Before he was constrained by Hammerstein's trite little rhymes, Rodgers produced pieces that, among the great Broadway composers, are equalled in melodic suppleness and harmonic variety only by Jerome Kern. Hart, in return, wrote lyrics that are by turns scintillating in their wit and searing in their poignancy. Some of his experiments in rhyme are deliciously knowing: "Beans could get no keener re/ception in a beanery ... We could find no cleaner re/treat from life's machinery"; "The city's clamor can never spoil/ The dreams of a boy and 'goil'"; "When love congeals/ It soon reveals/ The faint aroma of performing seals,/ The double-crossing of a pair of heels"; and so on. Yet what ultimately makes Hart's lyrics so great is their apparent naturalness. There is a conversational ease about all his words, and he never needed to mangle sentences for the sake of scanning or rhyming. Song never seemed so unforced an extension of normal speech, and therefore never so touching.

Ella Fitzgerald is famed primarily for up-tempo performances which showcased the sweetness and zest of her superbly flexible voice. We certainly see plenty of evidence of Ella's vocal brightness in the Rodgers & Hart Songbook. In numbers such as 'Mountain Greenery,' 'Manhattan' and 'I Wish I Were In Love Again' (from which the above quotes are drawn) her voice dances above the exuberant charts of Buddy Bregman, who was responsible for the bulk of the orchestral arrangements in this set. Yet Ella's delicacy in handling tender sentiment, romanticism and wistfulness - in the ballads, or 'pretty' numbers as she called them - is not sufficiently acknowledged, even today. For anyone who remains sceptical, this double album offers wonderful examples of all of these mellower and darker shades of feeling. 'With A Song In My Heart,' one of Rodgers' loveliest melodies offset by a ravishing extended musical metaphor from Hart, shows just how warm and embracing Ella's voice could be. Similarly, she conveys fully the dreamy romanticism of such songs as 'Where or When' and 'Blue Moon.' In the saddest of the songs - above all, perhaps, the heart-wrending 'Little Girl Blue' - Ella proves that conspicuous emotion is not always as telling as subdued emotion. Lorenz Hart recognised this, for his lyrics rarely wear their heart on their sleeve. To my mind, the greatness of Ella Fitzgerald is that she can touch you to your heart's core without any mannerism or straining after effect (of the kind often all too evident in the work of Billie Holliday): the simplicity of her renderings can in itself move you to tears, and beyond tears.

It's hard to think of a down-side to this collection. If I have one very, very minor complaint, it is that Buddy Bregman, though workmanlike, is not as effective an arranger across the emotional range as other collaborators such as Nelson Riddle, Paul Weston, Frank DeVol or, of course, Duke Ellington. Having said that , his contribution to the brighter sides is splendid; in particular, he helps to make Ella's recording of 'Manhattan' so memorable that it is really impossible to imagine any other. On some tracks Ella works with a smaller group, in arrangements by the pianist Paul Smith, and in one case alone with the guitarist Barney Kessel. The Smith arrangements, and the jamming sessions with his quartet, are amongst the best in the collection - in particular, the brilliantly witty treatment of Rodgers' and Hart's last, darkly comic song, 'To Keep My Love Alive,' and the torch-song-with-a-sting-in-the-tail, 'Bewitched.'

For those who are put off by the (very moderate) price of the Master Edition double album, and would rather test the water by buying half of the collection first - don't. The restoration of the original running order, the excellent accompanying information and the attractive presentation of the new edition all help to justify the larger outlay. The real reason for treating yourself, however, is that you will, I guarantee, get to the end of the second CD and wish that there were another thirty-four songs to follow.

If you only ever intend to buy one of the Verve songbooks, make it this one.

I've had both CDs in this set in my car for weeks and I can't move on! The combination of Ella Fitzgerald's instrument and Rodgers and Hart's songs is incomparable. I also like the variety Buddy Bregman's arrangements add to the whole package. In my opinion, the hallmark of Rodgers and Hart is the smart, quirky lyrics and patterns, not to mention the beautiful melodies. Try "Dancing on the Ceiling" to see what I'm getting at. There's even a touch of the bawdy in that Ella does all of "Bewitched" (other artists usually sing about half); "Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best." Wow! Other standouts in this collection are "With a Song in My Heart," "Where or When" and of course, "My Funny Valentine." This may be the best CD I've bought in years. I could listen to it all day, oh wait, I do listen to it all day!

Billie Holiday may have plumbed greater depths of despair, and Frank Sinatra may have cornered the market on romantic longing. But when it came to sunniness and sassiness--as well as beautiful tone, perfect pitch and diction so perfect that lyric sheets were made superfluous--nobody could hold a candle to wonderful, fabulous Ella Fitzgerald. Her special talents made her uniquely gifted as an interpreter of the songs of Rodgers and Hart. No one else could put Hart's witty lyrics across with such gleeful force while doing full justice to Rodgers's exquisite melodies. The fun she has with songs such as "Everything I've Got Belongs to You" or "To Keep My Love Alive" is transparent, as is the melting beauty she brings to romantic ballads like "Where or When" and "Isn't It Romantic." Her performance of "The Lady is a Tramp" is one of the enduring classics in the history of American popular music. And those who claim that Ella lacked the insight into lyrics that Lady Day and Sinatra possessed will be confounded by her performance of "I Wish I Were in Love Again." Sassy good humor, mixed with worldly wisdom: Dorothy Parker was never so insightful.

The only thing better than a collection of Rodgers and Harts songs to delight the soul and lift the Spirit, is to have the songs performed by the Ella Diva! Sheer perfection!

Vaishali, Naples, FL

"If they asked me
I could write a book
About the way you walk
And whisper and look
I could write a preface on how we met
So the world will never forget
And the simple secret of the plot
Is just to tell them that I love you a lot." ~ I Could Write A Book ~ Rodgers & Hart

A music critic, William Simon, described the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, as a musician with ear, instinct and training who never actually has been instructed in vocal technique and yet she can command such breath control, can shape a tone with such color sense, and with such flawless intonation.

She was once called "A Melody's Best Friend" for her special ability to turn an ordinary song into extraordinary with her outstanding vocal artistry and her creativity in scat singing. Ms. Fitzgerald's elegant interpretations and Buddy Bregman's striking arrangements of these appealing melodies from Richard Rodgers and the meaningful lyrics from Lorenz Hart truly made this album worthy to any listener who appreciates great music.

On Liner Notes' Foreword, Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the following about music.

"Music is a difficult subject - anybody's music. Words are easier to analyze. Everyone speaks and writes words. Few can write music. Its creation is a mystery. There are mathematical principles to guide its construction, but no mere knowledge of these can produce the emotional eloquence some music attains. We are made sad or happy, romantic, thoughtful, disturbed or peaceful by someone else's singing heart. To me this is a most exciting and inexplicable phenomenon. Certain experiences have an effect on us quite beyond the capacity of any symbols that can be written on paper, and what music can sometimes do to us is quite beyond the ken and lingo of academicians."

It's absolutely true. It's so amazing how music can deeply affect us in terms of our experiences in life. Music is the soundtrack of our lives. And in this age and time, nobody creates great music as brilliantly as Rodgers & Hart and their colleagues. Their music has captured the ears of millions of listeners who truly admire their talents in creating the most appreciated melodies and lyrics of all-time.

This two-CD-set is a confirmation on how Ella Fitzgerald became one of the greatest singers of all-time. It contains the best-loved Rodgers & Hart songs taken from different shows from 1925 thru 1942. "Blue Moon" is the only song that is not published as a part of a show or a movie score. Some of my highlights are: "I Could Write A Book" and "Bewitched" (1940 Pal Joey), "Isn't It Romantic" (1932 Love Me Tonight), "Manhattan" (1925 The Garrick Gaieties), "My Romance" (1935 Jumbo), "This Can't Be Love" (1938 The Boys from Syracuse), "My Funny Valentine" and "Where or When" (1937 Babes In Arms), "Spring Is Here" and "With A Song In My Heart" (1938 I Married An Angel).

Nostalgically recommended for your listening pleasure.

Having listened to and loved Ella's Cole Porter discs, I decided to branch out a bit. She's just as brilliant with Rodgers and Hart as she is with Porter, and what wonderful songs! This set is right up there with the Cole Porter set... both sets have sophisticated and witty lyrics and songs with melodies so familiar that they are standards of American popular music.

It's truly refreshing to hear "The Lady is a Tramp" sung with real class and style, instead of hearing it belted out by the usual suspects. "Manhattan" is one of my favorites, even though some might object to the rather over-produced orchestral backing. You have not heard songs like "Isn't it Romantic" until you've heard Ella sing them.... just as with Cole Porter's songs, it's as if they were written expressly for her.

The lesser-known songs are great, too.... Ella singing "To Keep My Love Alive" is a treat that will have you laughing out loud as she delivers the lyrics in a deadpan style, clearly enunciating the various ways she's sent her many husbands to the great beyond. She can even carry off a novelty tune like "Johnny One Note" (though someone should have told her that the first syllable of "Verdi" does not rhyme with "her"... but it's Ella, who cares??).

All in all, this is a set that is not to be missed!

Having only heard Ella Fitzgerald's Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart Songbooks, I think I slightly prefer the Porter recording, but only slightly. Every single song is consistently strong and memorable, whereas on the Rodgers and Hart album there are a few weak selections; not many, but enough to be noticeable enough to diminish the album's overall impact just a little bit. It's kind of silly to compare the two, though, because any album featuring Ella's one-of-a-kind voice and honest, direct interpretations of songs is almost surely bound to be great and delight, touch, or at the very least engage the listener. These songbooks and the others in the series are a fantastic showcase for her range and versatility. She can be sassy, sly, and sexy in such uptempo jazz/swing numbers as "To Keep My Love Alive," "I Wish I Were In Love Again," "Give It Back To the Indians," "Lover," and most dazzlingly "The Lady Is A Tramp" in what must surely be the definitive version, and then with consumate ease turn around and give a tender, sensitive and intimate reading of a ballad or love song like "It Never Entered My Mind," "Little Girl Blue," "Ten Cents A Dance," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," and "Bewitched." And she's got a trasure trove of great songs to work with here; maybe not quite as bottomless as the songs she used on the Porter songbook, but still a very very considerable amount. Hart's lyrics range from witty, sexy and even cynical to romantic and highly emotional, and Rodgers' music. superbly orchestrated here by Buddy Bregman, is just as versatile as the lyrics and Ella's singing, from bouncy and jazzy to exquisitely beautiful. THis two-disc recording is a must-have for fans of Fitzgerald, Rodgers and Hart, and music in general. Whatever your taste, ya gotta love it.

On a summers day in August of 1956. One of the greatest vocalist of her time went into a Los Angeles recording studio and took on "The Rodgers and Hart Songbook".The name of the great vocalist was Ms Ella Fitzgerald also known as "The First Lady Of Song".It was back in 1918 when composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart would form a collaboration that would change american music forever.During their lengthy careers they would come to write hundreds of songs.And some of those songs would become what we call "American Standards".Songs that would one day be perform by entertainers like Judy Garland,Frank Sinatra,Johnny Mathis and so many others the list is endless.After the death of Lorenz Hart.Richard Rodgers would team up with Oscar Hammerstein and continue his career.But that"s another story.This story is about Ella Fitzgerald who takes these Rodgers and Hart songs.And turns them into her own songs.These greatly entertaining songs are sung by Ella with perfect interruption,humor and style.Backed up the Buddy Bregman orchestra Ella sings songs that were written by Rodgers and Hart between 1925 and 1943.A naturally gifted singer who could sing anything Ella is at her best on this album.On the song "Where Or When" Ella uses her sweet voice to give us a sweet look at deja vu. On "Manhattan" she brings back the charm of the old city around the year 1925.On songs like "Isn"t It Romantic and I Could Write A Book" Ella sings these songs in such a way. It makes you want to fall in love.On "Give It Back To The Indians" Ella ready brings out the humor in this song.And Ella"s masterpiece on this album is "Bewitched" all the talent that made her such a unique vocalist are demonstrated on this song.This album is filled with classic Rodgers and Hart songs.Sung by one of my favorite vocalist Ms Ella Fitzgerald.Lyrics just roll off her lips like sweet melted butter.This is one of her best songbooks.And I just love listening to it.

One of the best! Buddy Bregman superbly arranges for Ella. He makes Johnny One Note & With a Song in My Heart fit her range while still being innovative & aesthetic. A major thing is that Sing For Your Supper, He Was to Good to Me, Falling in Love With Love, Glad to be Unhappy, Why Can't I, Nobody's Heart, Most Handsome Boy in the World, Tree In the Park, It's Gotta To Be Love, It's Easy to Remember, You Are Too Beautiful, You're Nearer, I'll Tell Man in the Street, Quiet Night, Where's That Rainbow, Lady Must Live, & I'd Like to Recognize the Tune should have been added to this set. What I'm saying is Rodger & Hart wrote a massive amount of great songs. Back when I cassette taped my own Great American Songs Books by my favorite artists, I found out R&H had more songs recorded than any of their peers! It was easy to find great versions of their masterpieces! Ella & Buddy make this ***** by including forgotten treasure such as To Keep My Love Alive, about a female bluebeard, & Everything I've Got & I Wish I Were In Love Again. Those last 2 make S&M an underrated pastime. Hart could make a love song an intellectual or satirical excercise. Whenever his fellow lyricists tried, where they inspired by him? Did they suucced? Listen to Bewithced. What song so well covers the entire history of an affair? Was there any other song? Rodgers was at least Hart's equal. Who could write such beautiful nonrepetitive melodies. Too many compsoers, old & new, just repeat the same melody. Actually, Hart got equal billing with Rodgers when lyricists were genarally subornate to composers. Producer & manager, Norman Granz, should have put into this R&H tribute the same massive care that the Gershwin set received. Those 17 missing songs & the instrumental Slaughter On 10th Avenue should have been in the set. Rogers & Hart songs are far superior to the Gerswhins' songs! To hear the magnificent 17, check Mel, Sassy, Carmen, Barbra, Judy, Eydie, Lena, & Maureen McGovern. Still, don't get me wrong, this is really a ********** gem.

This CD is among the very best of Ella Fitzgerald's series of songbooks of great American songwriters. While the music is Gershwin's and Porter's songbooks is even more appealing, these songs of Rodgers and Hart are highly enjoyable. The sound after the restoration (1997) is outstanding and enables to fully enjoy Ella's velvet-like voice. The box is very neat indeed (like the boxes of other songbooks of Ella which were recently reissues by Verve such as Gershwin and Porter). While collecting other songbooks of Ella's, you will probably not want to skip this one.