Customer Reviews

We All Love Ella: Celebrating First Lady Song

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Wikipendia: "Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 - June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century.

With a vocal range spanning three octaves, she was noted for her purity of tone, near faultless phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. She is widely considered to have been one of the supreme interpreters of the Great American Songbook...."
This is a heartfelt, loving tribute to the great singer for which Verve Records has gathered a top-notch group of genre-spanning artists and a legendary producer to create an album that genuinely pays tribute to its original subject.
"We All Love Ella" is produced by hit maker Phil Ramone and filled with passionate performances of classics made famous by Ella and sung by world-renowned singers and break-out stars Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, Ledisi, Dianne Reeves, Linda Ronstadt and Lizz Wright.
Most of them are part of the so-called SERIAL COLLABORATORS, a new generation of musicians, who have all but abandoned their own musical endeavours in favour of hitching a ride in this kind of music projects, call them DUET or TRIBUTE albums.
Whether it's Diana Krall's tender "Dream A Little Dream", Natalie Cole's swingin' "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", k.d. lang's sultry "Angel Eyes" or the extraordinarily sassy and powerful "Blues in the Night" by newcomer Ledesi, the performances on "We All Love Ella" keenly display Fitzgerald's expansive musical range and show how her style influenced generations of musicians from all backgrounds
The woman herself, Ella, appears on the album.
In 1977, Stevie Wonder sat in with Ella during her performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. This impromptu collaboration yielded a charming duet on Stevie's classic "You are the Sunshine of my Life". This recording is released for the first time over on this tribute album!
Many are the guest musicians :Gerald Clayton (Piano), Billy Childs Trio (piano, arranger), Regina Carter (violin), Alan Broadbent(Piano), Christian McBride (bass), Dean Parks (Guitar), Tom Scott (Saxophone), Anthony Wilson (Guitar), just to name a few.
Genius Loves Company
A Tribute To Joni Mitchell
Duets: An American Classic
So Amazing...An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross
DuetsDuets II
To Grover, With Love
All in one world, a great homage to the Great Lady of Song.
Enjoy

We All Love Ella is a touching tribute to The First Lady Of Song. This album gives us a terrific fifteen classic Ella Fitzgerald ballads covered by some of the best artists currently in the business. Just one listen proves it!

The CD track set starts with a bouncy rendition of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" by Natalie Cole. The bass works well and so do those horns and percussion! Natalie swings brightly on "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." Chaka Chan truly does prove her wide vocal range with a pretty awesome rendition of "Lullaby Of Birdland." The key changes between major and minor work well for "Lullaby Of Birdland." Chaka sings this passionately with all her heart and soul; her excellent diction bolsters her performance. Moreover, Queen Latifah turns in a rousing interpretation of "The Lady Is A Tramp." Queen Latifah never sounded better; and the arrangement for piano, horns, drums and percussion really shines!

"Dream A Little Dream Of Me" features Diana Krall and Hank Jones; although some may think that this interpretation runs a little too long I personally like it very much. Diana Krall and Hank Jones perform a marvelous version of "Dream A Little Dream Of Me." Listen also for a flawless performance of "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (a.k.a. Mr. Paganini)" by Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan.

Ledisi performs "Blues In The Night" with panache; and the big band style arrangement impresses me with its percussion and horns. Ella would be smiling! "Miss Otis Regrets" gets the royal treatment from Linda Ronstadt who sings this with excellent diction, sensitivity and style.

We get an excellent duet between Ella Fitzgerald herself and the great Stevie Wonder recorded live in concert; their electric chemistry is unmistakable. Together Ella and Stevie Wonder perform "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life." The crowd loves every minute of this duet; and Ella and Stevie never miss a beat! I predict that you will enjoy "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" very, very much.

The liner notes feature some pretty fine artwork; and we get a couple of excellent black and white photos of Ella as well. Excellent!

Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady Of Song, will never be forgotten; and this CD is a wonderful tribute to her and her legacy. We are all remarkably better off for Ella sharing her artistry with us; and I assure you that her CDs will be available for ages to come.

Great job, everyone--and thank you, Ella!

"It's been a privilege to be a part of this tribute to Ella. These artists have continued the legacy and lessons that she gave to us all. There's something magical about doing the work of Ella Fitzgerald." ~ Phil Ramone ~

What better way to commemorate the First Lady of Song's 90th birth anniversary this year than listening to this newly-released tribute CD, "We All Love Ella" consisting of 15 of the most significant songs identified with Ella Fitzgerald. The whole CD is just tremendous with a repertoire of timeless standards as interpreted by some of the best contemporary singers in jazz and R&B who injected a whole lot of new flavors to these enduring songs by the Gershwin Brothers, Rodgers & Hart, George Shearing, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Bob Russell and Benny Goodman, among many others. Most of the songs were arranged and conducted by a fine orchestrator Rob Mounsey, and some are from the creative charts of Billy Childs, Alan Broadbent and John Clayton.

For the opener, Natalie Cole sings an original composition by Ella which she co-wrote with Al Feldman, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" followed by Chaka Khan's take on "Lullaby of Birdland" done with a new twist. Cole and Khan team up as they present with pride and dedication one of the best tracks in this collection, "If You Can't Sing It, You'll Have To Swing It - aka Mr. Paganini."

Diana Krall with her distinctively sultry voice, presents an all-time favorite of mine "Dream A Little Dream Of Me." Michael Bublé's "Too Close For Comfort" is a show-stopper and as always he never fails to disappoint his fans with his flawless rendition of this song with a fresh and an absolutely beautiful arrangement by Billy Childs. It's one of my top favorites here.

One of my highlights is a performance with Stevie Wonder recorded in 1977 in New Orleans. Stevie tells Ella ... "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and they exchanged compliments to each other before performing this duet.

Queen Latifah somewhat stole the show with her impressive delivery of "The Lady Is A Tramp," one of the best versions of this oftenly-recorded song. Billy Childs once again showed off his superb chart arrangement on this track. Bravo to both of you!

Gladys Knight, Dianne Reeves, Linda Ronstadt, k.d. lang and Etta James have always impressed me with their musicalities and their vocal styles. Their respective versions of "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Oh, Lady Be Good," "Miss Otis Regrets," "Angel Eyes" and "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" are some of the best female versions ever recorded.

Lizz Wright, whom I first appreciated when she recorded "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" with one of my favorite saxophonists, David Sanborn, on a CD entitled Closer, shines anew with her charming take on "Reaching For The Moon." "Blues In The Night" was given a new treatment by Ledesi, whom I hadn't heard until now but she gives credence and justice to this song that would have made Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen beam with pride.

Nikki Yanofsky sings the bonus track and the final song in the repertoire, "Airmail Special."

In sum, this is one of the greatest tributes to the artistry and legacy of the one-and-only First Lady of Song. I wholeheartedly recommend this not only for her fans but also to the fans of all the artists involved in this wonderful tribute. It's worth it since a portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation, which provides grants in the areas of music education and appreciation, academic enrichment, and work with disadvantaged children. Not only you'll enjoy this CD but you'll be helping the Foundation as well.

Truly, we all love Ella!

Take classic songs and have them performed by today's top artists. This is a great compilation of classic standards delivered in new ways; keeping some old and adding some new. Definitely at the top of my hit parade!!!!

A very nice collections of songs. It's clear that most performers LOVE Ella, however found that some songs have the singer a little uninspired, and certainly lacking the love for music that Ella had. The Stevie Wonder/Ella duet however makes this a must have CD.

'We All Love Ella' is a first rate tribute to the First Lady Of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. While I agree with the previous reviewer on many points, I'll try to focus on the project as a whole. Verve must be commended for asembling such a formidible list of singers & musicians on this CD, and you can't help but feel good while listening to the various interpretations, which are all top rate. The one track which caught my attention from the start was the LONG OVERDUE DUET between Natalie Cole & Chaka Khan! The two divas' voices blend SO WELL on '(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (A.K.A. Mr.Paganini)', and I also love the arrangement of the song, which is long enough for Chaka & Natalie to sing & scat up a storm.

There are so many other highlights on 'We All Love Ella', BUT the failure to include songs by TWO prominent Ella disciples (Patti Austin & Dee Dee Bridgewater), was questionable (IMO). Both of these legendary singers recorded Ella tribute projects in the past ('Dear Ella' & 'For Ella' respectively!), and they could've shined on this new CD singing 'Our Love Is Here To Stay' & 'How High The Moon ?'. Both of these songs are Ella classics without question, but are absent on 'We All Love Ella'. Oh well, maybe Verve will cook up Volume 2 ?

All in all 'We Love Ella - Celebrating The First Lady Of Song' is a first rate tribute to an American Icon, and I applaud everyone involved for the great music...which is one of the finest 'tribute' projects in recent memory. I'd also like to thank Phil Ramone for NOT releasing a shabby collection of songs (most of those countless 'remake' CDs on Shanachie Records comes to mind!!). Obviously a lot of thought & time was invested in producing 'We All Love Ella', so I'd recommend it to jazz lovers everywhere.
Peace, SD
(of 'Chakasworld')

"We All Love Ella" is a compilation CD of new arrangements of old Ella tunes put together as a tribute to Ella and to benefit the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation. This CD provides enjoyable listening, if you're into smooth jazz, and is well worth the price. Some thoughts on the individual tracks:

A-Tisket, A-Tasket - Natalie Cole
Fun (and well done!)

Lullaby of Birdland - Chaka Khan
The melody of this song is tough to sing (quick, wide interval leaps), and Chaka sluffs off a few notes. With a little more effort on her part, it could have been perfect.

The Lady is a Tramp - Queen Latifah
Now I know why I never heard anyone sing the verse (opening) to this song before--yuck! QL could stand to take a few liberties with the melody and lyrics; she plays it a little too straight. Otherwise--great!

Dream a Little Dream of Me - Diana Krall & Hank Jones
Although Ella may have sung this song, does it really belong on a tribute CD? Diana Krall has a wonderful voice, but this arrangement is slug-like (Hank's piano playing aside).

Mr. Paganini - Natalie & Chaka
The intro is a bit dragged out but after that, the song starts hummin'. Love the scat!

Oh, Lady Be Good! - Dianne Reeves
Nice! This girl also knows how to scat! Does she do it spontaneously?

Reaching for the Moon - Lizz Wright
Excellent! Not jazz, but an erotic and poignant contrast to the rest of the CD.

Blues in the night - Ledisi
Bravo! A dusky, intricate and high-powered journey through the blues.

Miss Otis Regrets - Linda Ronstadt
Yes! Very much captures the feel of Ella's (Ethel's) original.

Someone to Watch over Me - Gladys Knight
This arrangement is a little too "fluffy" for my taste; Gladys finally builds up some desperately needed horsepower toward the end--only to fluff-out again.

Do Nothin' till You Hear from Me - Etta James
Nice vocal by Etta, but something's weird here (bass drum on the backbeat, perhaps?)

Angel Eyes - k.d. lang
If any other vocalist on this CD attempted "Angel Eyes" at this dirge-like tempo, it would be a tough-sell, but k.d. pulls it off admirably.

Too Close for Comfort - Michael Bublé
Slick as snot, and about as appealing.

You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Ella Fitzgerald & Stevie Wonder
Included as a courtesy to the memory of Ella, evidently--perfunctory, at best.

Oh yes, and the bonus track by Nikki Yanofsky - what can I say? Nikki is one of the Wonders of the World (the eighth, ninth, tenth?--how many are there?) Her "Airmail Special" rendition is youthfully exuberant, as well it should be, but strikingly adept, nonetheless. In fact, every Ella tune that then 13-year-old Nikki sings on her "Ella...of Thee I Swing" concert CD/DVD combo, available at amazon.ca, is more dynamic, engrossing, and "Ella-like" than the corresponding name-act versions found on this CD. For a real thrill, check it out. What a kid!

This is a very nice variety of well known singers doing the songs that we all associate with the great Ella Fitzgerald.

Various artists have gotten together in tribute to The First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. The selections are among Ella's biggest hits - and singers with chops, we've got. Dianne Reeves providing a very nice Lady Be Good, and Queen Latifah contributes The Lady is a Tramp. Natalie Cole does a delightful A Tisket, A Tasket, and Chaka Khan does a great job on Lullaby of Birdland. But when the two combine their talents on Mr. Paganini, standing ovations are in order.

Relative new singer, Ledisi, brings the house down with a roaring interpretation of The Blues in the Night. Etta James' smoky version of Do Nuthin' Til You Hear From Me plays like a road map charting the long, winding journey of a "seasoned" woman in love. Gladys Knight steps in with a very nice version of Someone to Watch Over Me, and I love K.D. Lang's hauntingly subtle Angel Eyes.

I was awe-struck by the Ella-like scatting of Nikki Yanofsky on Airmail Special. My God, how I miss Ella - and it took this particular performance to remind me of how much we lost when Ella passed.

This is a 5-Star recording that throws in the bonus of Ella herself, singing a live version of Whatever Lola Wants. BRAVO! It's a definite GIT-IT

My memories of the late Ella Fitzgerald are sketchy at best. I certainly do recall her numerous appearances on the Ed Sullivan show in the 1960's and I do own a vinyl collection of her greatest hits. However, jazz has never been one of my favorite genres. Recently I came across the 2007 Verve release "We All Love Ella". I must say that this disc certainly piqued my curiosity. And after listening to "We All Love Ella" I find myself longing to hear more of this stuff.
A good many of the artists who appear on "We All Love Ella" are among the most versatile vocalists in the business today. The disc opens with a splendid rendition of Ella Fitzgerald's huge 1939 #1 hit "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" by Natalie Cole. Seems to me that Natalie just keeps getting better and better with age. Queen Latifah does an outstanding job on the venerable standard "The Lady Is A Tramp". From what little I have heard from her it appears that she is right at home with this kind of material. Among the younger artists whom I had never really heard of I was most impressed with Ledisi's sensational take on "Blues In The Night". Blue Note recording artist Dianne Reeves, who many consider to be the pre-eminent jazz vocalist on the scene today blew me away with "Oh, Lady Be Good". Perhaps my very favorite recording in this collection is Linda Ronstadt's "Miss Otis Regrets". Culled from her outstanding 2004 CD "Hummin' To Myself" this tune reminds us that Linda Ronstadt remains one of the most gifted and versatile vocalists on the planet! And I would be remiss if I failed to make mention of Diana Krall's moving take on "Dream A Little Dream of Me" backed by the terrific piano stylings of Hank Jones. It pains me to say this but one track that probably should not have made the cut is Gladys Knight's "Someone To Watch Over Me". I don't think I have ever heard a bad version of this tune....until now.
At the end of the day "We All Love Ella" has succeeded in making me want to hear more of this kind of music. Perhaps I will pull out my vinyl 2 LP set "The Best of Ella" and give it a listen for the first time in a long time. While there were a couple of tracks that I personally did not care for overall I found "We All Love Ella" to be an enjoyable and highly entertaining album. This is certainly a disc that I would listen to from time to time. I am confident that you will agree. Recommended!