Customer Reviews

Take Love Easy

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Although the other recordings from this duo are also great, this title is my most favorite one. Every song stands out for their unique jazz interpretation of these classic tunes. Vocal/jazz duos are very difficult to pull off, but you'd never know it by listening to these recordings. Joe Pass's guitar work here is some of his best in a duo setting. Ella's melodic improvisations on these tunes is incredible. Definately one of the greatest jazz duos of all time.

This is the debut of Ella and Joe Pass albums.Recorded with some deep melancholy and emotion on August 28,1973.I recommend you whole album but esp. "you go to my head" is something special and makes you feel like that it never ends."Lush Life" and Jobim's "Once I Loved" are album's highlights and probably will make you cry as the rest of the album would do.Listen to this and realize how a jazz singer becomes A legend with lotta proofs and how a jazz guitar is played that perfect by a god,Joe Pass.
Very dark very sensitive.This is the event!

Though I enjoy music of many different genres, this album transcends genre for me somehow. In these sessions, two astounding artists, who share an incredible chemistry, communicate the nuances of wit and tenderness with exquisitely sophisticated simplicity. It is a rare gem.

This cd is one of the best cds Ella recorded during the 70's! all of the Ella & Joe duo cd's are fantastic! Ella sounds so relaxed and Joe's playing is beautiful! 'You're Blase' is wonderful.

There's nothing better than taking a gamble on a piece of music and having it pay off in spades. At first glance, this album seems like it might be pretty awful: a singer in her fifties, likely past her prime, and accompanied only by a follically-challenged guitarist.... and in the jazz nadir of the 1970s. So, I'll admit that I circled this album warily until I happened to view the rather lame American Masters biography of Ella. Some of the best moments in it were a Ronnie Scott's appearance by Ella in the early 70s (with Joe Pass in the band) and a brief excerpt of a TV appearance by this duo at around the same time. That convinced me to snap this CD up straightaway, and it's real genius. Ella is in full command of her instrument and sounds 20 years younger, while Pass is a most sensitive accompanist, following her every move. She sings the bejeezus out of the notoriously difficult "Lush Life", deliberately starting with girlish tones as she sings of a happier past, before heading into the song's gloomy present. She begins "A Foggy Day" with a foghorn note that would make Sarah proud. But my favourite song here may be "Don't Be That Way", which swings like mad, with only an acoustic guitar along for the ride. Part of Ella's charm is her personality, as her voice can sometimes seem almost anonymous. Which makes Take Love Easy actually one of Ella's greatest albums: it's simply so personal. I'll venture a guess that the genius of this duo may have influenced Tony Bennett to try this format with Bill Evans, just a year or so later, to equally strong effect.

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass swing easy on this great album entitled "Take Love Easy." Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady Of Song," never failed to disappoint her adoring audiences. Joe Pass, her accompanist on guitar for this album, will always be one of the best guitarists we will ever see. This album, just like all the rest of their work, is sure to please you!

"Take Love Easy" features Ella swinging easy and really smoothly as she sings of how it could be important to sometimes hide your most vulnerable feelings when you are in love. Joe Pass's guitar playing complements Ella's vocals to perfection; and Ella's excellent diction enhances the beauty of "Take Love Easy." A strong start!

"Once I Loved" is a wistful, romantic tune that Ella sings as her character reignites a love that had once gone awry. The simplicity of Joe's arrangement makes his artistry all the more beautiful; and Ella sings this with remarkable sensitivity.

"Don't Be That Way" has Ella singing her heart out with a soulful, somewhat pensive tone as she reflects upon a love that is in trouble; her character also implores a man not to leave her in the second half of the song. Ella starts to sing this in a lower range before she starts singing at a higher range; and this works well for "Don't Be That Way." Joe Pass's guitar is soft in the background which allows Ella's voice to be completely in the spotlight. You will like this number.

"Lush Life," a song Nat "King" Cole often sang, gets a jazzy twist from Ella's vocals. Ella performs vocal gymnastics as she switches tempos frequently throughout this ballad. Ella's interpretation truly makes "Lush Life" her own. Joe's beautiful guitar playing in the background supports Ella. Ella injects this ballad with a certain level of panache that I rarely hear--incredible! In the hands of Ella and Joe, "Lush Life" really sparkles.

"A Foggy Day" gets the royal treatment from Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass; they take this romantic ballad to new heights with their interpretation of "A Foggy Day." Ella and Joe slow down the tempo considerably to create a pensive and somewhat mournful tone. Joe Pass plays a guitar solo in the middle of this number that adds a very special extra touch of class to "A Foggy Day," too.

"You Go To My Head" swings slowly and softly to create an especially romantic flavor for this classic ballad. Ella and Joe don't miss a note and the overall effect is a smashing interpretation of "You Go To My Head." Ella plays with the tempo of her vocals yet again--man, how this lady could do vocal gymnastics unlike any other chanteuse!

All good things must come to an end; and the CD track set ends fittingly with the romantic and charming "I Want To Talk About You." Ella tells her man that if he truly loves her then she will give her heart to him completely. I simply can't quite find the right words to express to you the beauty of "I Want To Talk About You;" I can only encourage you to experience this gorgeous ballad for yourself.

The cover artwork gives us a lovely black and white photo of Ella smiling; this reflects good artistic judgment.

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass have given us an album of remarkably beautiful romantic ballads that just cannot be ignored. Ella and Joe will always be fondly remembered as consummate professionals who gave their all and make an indelible mark upon the entertainment world and the artistic community at once. We are all better off for their sharing their talents with us. I recommend this CD for fans of Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals with a twist of jazz will always enjoy this CD.

A fabulous record for anyone who likes jazz guitar or Ella Fitzgerald. The recording of Lush Life alone is worth the price!

it seems very hard to sing jazz,ella does it like wedo everyday things ,there are many duets with ella but only one is with joe pass .ella & louis made beautiful music but take love easy is collosal thing.listen to this and you wont be sorry .This is worth searching out.

I love all songs in this album.

The shipment is very fast. Would recommend this dealer to my friends.

'You're deep, just like a chasm; you've no enthusiasm'....what wonderful lyrics these songs have. And Ella makes you believe them and want to join her 'where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life, to get the feel of life from jazz and cocktails'. Breathe a sigh of relief as you tune in to the most delicious playing by Joe Pass, in this totally comfortable combination of musicians. This is my favourate Ella album as she sounds warm and wise. Yet there is a poignant quality to this album, balanced with the pure delight of Ella and Joe enjoying themselves and these wonderful tunes.