The Best of Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 26, 1996)
• Original Release Date: March 26, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B000003N4I
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,259 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The queen of jazz....., January 8, 2005

By	D. Pawl "mariposarosa2" (Seattle) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I did not have the pleasure of listening to this album by the late, great Ella Fitzgerald, until after she had passed away about ten years ago. She is the queen of skat (i.e.: jazz vocal improvisation), and actually invented this style of singing when she forgot the words to a popular jazz song. The rest is history, and many more vocalists have gone on to emulate this popular style of singing in the jazz repertoire.

"The Best of Ella Fitzgerald" presents a great cross section of songs from Ella's expansive, eclectic and extraordinary body of work, spanning several decades. Her voice is best described of a warm, melodious mist that intensifies with emotional expression and incomparable interpretation. I feel her immense vocal talent is best showcased in the more upbeat numbers on this album ("Smooth Sailing," "Lullaby of Birdland," as two examples) You get the sense that Ella felt and experienced her songs in a way unlike any other artist. She truly LIVED the songs and you feel it through her music. Whether introspectively pondering the downside of love ("You Won't Be Satisfied Until You Break My Heart"), or more playful tunes that have nothing to do with romance ("A Tisket a Tasket," "You've Got to Swing It (Mr Paganini)"), where her freestyling and skatting are showcased, this woman will truly warm your heart.

This album is a great introduction to the masterful Ella Fitzgerald, and I reccomend that, whether you are a jazz enthusiast or just expanding your musical repertoire, you need to hear these beautiful songs!!!!!

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A selection of Ella's best , February 3, 2005

By	Truth "Truth24-7" (DC) - See all my reviews

This is a nice collection of Ella's recordings on the Decca label, from 1938-1955. The songs were selected from a list of producer Milt Gabler. The sound quality is good.