Customer Reviews

Speak Love

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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Very intimate... Ella & a guitar(Joe Pass) this music will take you straight to heaven. Essential Ella!!!

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass will always remain the ultimate example of an accomplished, very special chanteuse and guitarist performing together, never giving us anything less than their very best. This CD is just one of three or four albums that Ella and Joe made together; and we get the rewards for all their hard work!

The CD track set begins with "Speak Low." What a ballad! Ella's voice is rich, warm and vibrant despite the fact that this set was recorded late in her career. Ella sings passionately and uses the full range of her voice to deliver "Speak Low" to perfection. Joe Pass plays the guitar well. It amazes me to hear just how much magic Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass could weave with just her voice and his solo guitar arrangement.

"Comes Love" follows "Speak Low." "Comes Love" sports a romantic melody; and Ella's treatment of the lyrics leaves you wanting for nothing! Ella plays with the tempo of her vocals as well; and this bolsters "Comes Love." "I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)!" lets Ella interpret a classic, well known love ballad--and her rendition shines like gold. Ella's vocals are placed squarely in front of the musical arrangement; and she scats really nicely, too. When Joe does get his guitar solo in the middle of "I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)," he more than compensates for his staying in the background while Ella sings!

"At Last," a ballad made so famous by the great Etta James, really shines as Ella sings this soulfully, slowly and passionately. Ella sings her heart out for "At Last!" Awesome! Ella scats just a little; Ella performs most of "At Last" as a ballad made all the more beautiful by the simplicity of the lyrics. "Gone With The Wind" features Ella singing with energy while refraining from being unrealistically boisterous for this number. Joe's simple but moving guitar arrangement adds a lot to "Gone With The Wind." I love his guitar solo on "Gone With The Wind," too! Ella scats a little bit near the end of this ballad and she even ends it with a slightly upbeat sound at the very end as if to remind you she didn't lose her talents as a scatter. If you want to hear Ella doing some really fine scatting, give a listen to "Blue And Sentimental."

The CD ends with "Georgia On My Mind." Joe starts with a few notes on his guitar; and although Ella and Joe keep the usual tempo they inject it with their own personal touch. Ella scats somewhat and Joe plays a few extra spicy notes on his guitar. The overall effect provides the album with a particularly strong ending.

The liner notes have a very brief essay by Norman Granz; I would have liked a longer essay but this is a minor disappointment. The cover art work has a great picture of Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass together.

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass could turn out a set that would make even the very greatest artists green with envy. They never miss a beat on any of their flawless performances. I highly recommend this for fans of Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass; and people who like classic pop vocals with a jazzy twist will like this CD, too.

Enjoy!

Jazz's emotional equivalent of the Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss. Rummaging through the attic, you have found the Book of Kells...

Twenty seven years ago, Pablo Records produced a treasure of an album titled "Speak Love" where Ella Fitzgerald, also known as the First Lady of Song, was paired with a Guitar Virtuoso, Joe Pass. Together, they have created some of the most beautiful jazz music that we, jazz fans, always have the great pleasure of listening to as time goes by.

One voice and one guitar. One awesome album.

Ella Fitzgerald was the epitome of a perfect jazz singer. She had it all, I mean, all the musical attributes an effective jazz singer must possess---a great voice, impressive vocal styling, ability to scat innately, emotional honesty in interpreting any kind of song, good rapport with her fellow musicians, arrangers, conductors and producers.

Joe Pass was the incomparable guitar master who made a lasting impression in the world of jazz. When it comes to jazz guitar, he was a household name. He was an institution.

Ella Fitzgerald was a Jazz Diva, but she did not act like one. In spite of her fame and popularity as well as the many accolades, honors and awards she earned, she was down-to-earth, warm and amiable.

One more thing, her voice is an instrument by itself. She always sounded great whether accompanied by a lone piano or guitar, or backed by a quartet, or a full orchestra.

In this album of ten timeless standards, she is accompanied only by Joe Pass' incredible guitar. Even with sparse instrumentation and considering that this album was not recorded during the peak of her vocal elegance, her voice still shines and blends melodiously with the virtuoso's guitar riffs.

To single out a favorite track would be impossible because all the tracks are winners from "Speak Low," "Comes Love" and "Blue And Sentimental" down to "At Last," "Gone With The Wind" and "Georgia On My Mind." But if someone insisted that I must pick a favorite track, I would easily choose Harry Ruskin and Henry Sullivan's "I May Be Wrong, But I Think You're Wonderful" for its impressively special scat and Joe Pass' awesome bridge solo.

"I may be wrong
But I think you're wonderful
I may be wrong
But I think you're swell
I like your style, say
I think it's marvelous
I think you're grand
But I may be wrong"

And another thing, in terms of musicality, Ella was the female equivalent of the legendary blue-eyed Chairman of the Board, Mr. S.

Finally, the album reminds us of what John Keats once said. . ." A thing of beauty is a joy forever." It's pretty good for the ear. With my heartfelt recommendation.

I am a long time Joe Pass fan - his Virtuoso #3 was my introduction to the world of jazz and improvisation and I have since accumulated almost every recording of his I can find. His ability to accompany and add just the right lines in an ensemble is incredible.

On this recording a decision was made to add overdubbed fills and solos over his characteristic solo style, and it often just doesn't feel right. I can only hypothesize that his playing needs the give and take of a live musician in real time to play off of, and the immovable previous recording gives the overdubbed parts a sterility very uncharacteristic of the rest of his catalogue.

Don't get me wrong, there are some tremendous musical moments on this, but they would be more intimate and satisfying without the overdubbed part.

Dont miss "Take Love Easy" with Ella!