Twelve Nights in Hollywood [Box set, Original recording remastered]

Ella Fitzgerald | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Hip-O Select
• ASIN: B002IRBGYC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,126 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ella live in an intimate setting - What a find!, November 27, 2009

By 

Thomas E. Davis (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Audio CD)

These cozy dates come from a Los Angeles club called the Crescendo in 1961 and 1962, two of Ella's peak years. Only one of the pristine tracks has ever been released. Why did Verve take nearly half a century to put out this treasure?

It's a case of more profitable material, a wealth of studio recordings, crowding out excellent performances that could have been a hit originally. Alas, producer Norman Granz gave them short shrift: a single poorly-selected and poorly-mastered album that flopped commercially.

The tapes sank into the vaults, not to be unearthed until jazz researcher Phil Schaap dug into the archives in 1988. He found 14 hours of California recordings made over 12 days, along with unheard live sets recorded in Rome and Chicago in 1958. At that point, Verve released a single CD, "Ella in Rome," which was a huge success, but then the label got busy with rereleases of her songbook series.

Finally, this year, Richard Seidel, the producer of this boxed set, listened to the tapes and decided to assemble four CDs containing 76 songs both swinging and sentimental. Ella is a joy throughout: creative and playful in her phrasing and scatting, by turns relaxed and spirited in her mood. She even succeeds at the blues, a form she was not particularly known for.

What are you waiting for? This is a glorious find and an essential acquisition for the Fitzgerald fan.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must for your Jazz Library, December 15, 2009

By 

Steven Samuel "Windsor1" (Yardley, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Audio CD)

The one negative: The package. In addition to others' comments, I'll add that the package is "oversized", and will not fit into any standard CD rack or cabinet.

That said, this is Ella at her young, strong best. Vocals are lively and "clear as a bell", with strong, precise performances by her sidemen. Beautifully recorded and remastered, this is an intimate club date with the kind of dimension you just can't get in the studio (and quality you can't get on MP3).

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twelve Nights in Hollywood-- just in time for Twelve Days of Christmas, November 27, 2009

By 

Singin' Sphinx (Berkeley CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Audio CD)

This is a wonderful and vivid recording with the singer up-front, a supportive pianist and percussionists, fresh, light, and delightful. Crystal clear. What a treat -- who would've expected to hear more great Ella after all this time?