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38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fitting tribute to a true Lady of Song., June 5, 2007
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
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
We all love Ella; we sorta like this CD, January 10, 2008
Listening to Ella Fitzgerald is like sinking into a hot tub with a tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries next to you. Fitzgerald was brilliant at what she did, in the way she made her voice a blend of the warm, the rich and the knowing--she was seductive, but also smart. This CD, made with love and the best intentions, tries to match her, but just can't; it's like pygmies trying to match an Amazon goddess. Natalie Cole is in fine, silvery voice, but lack's Ella's velvety richness; Queen Latifah and Chaka Kahn both contribute respectable tracks, but there's no weight or snap to them. Buble swings enthusiastically and has a hint of mischief in his voice, but not Ella's joy. k.d. lang offers another of her dreamy sleepwalking tracks, while Linda Ronstad's "Miss Otis"--one of the few Ella tracks I'm really lukewarm on--is sweetly affecting but not one for the ages. (Bizarrely, Bette Midler's knockout Latin take, with lots of blaring horns and crackling electricity, is one of the very few versions of that song I've heard that really works.) And Stevie Wonder's track is irritating beyond belief--it's nice to hear Ella duet with someone, but why on "You Are the Sunshine of My Life?" of all things? (Her gushy tribute to Wonder is also odd, considering this CD is supposed to be about Ella; still, after hearing Wonder piledrive his way over Tony Bennett, I guess we should be grateful he's as restrained as he is here.) However, a few tracks really do just what they're supposed to. Diane Reeves, her voice like a perfectly aged Merlot, skips lightly through "Lady Be Good" with Ella-like dexterity; Lizz Wright croons "Waiting For the Moon" with appropriately moody seductiveness; and the final "scat track" is joyfully contagious. Best of all is a red-hot "Blues In The Night" by Ledisi--ah, Ledisi! She, apparently, didn't get the memo about restrained, bland good tastefulness, and she tears through the song like a triple-shot Mexican mocha with an aphrodisiac chaser; her final, yowling note on "Night" is a throw down challenge to every other diva (and wanna-be)in jazz: I Am The Future. Yay, and hooray; back to the hot tub, everyone, Ledisi's got the jets fired up!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fine tribute to the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald, October 17, 2007
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!
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