When Norman Granz began the Verve label in 1956 it was very a lot as a car for the recording profession of Ella Fitzgerald, who he had been managing for plenty of years. Certainly, in 1955 Granz had wrestled away Ella’s recording contract from Decca Information. And, the next yr, Granz produced two main initiatives for Ella, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Track E-book and Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Track E-book. In 1957, in the meantime, they undertook the Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Track E-book and, a yr after that, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Track E-book.
Take heed to Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Track E-book now.
They continued to work their manner by The Nice American Track E-book, and it was on January 5, 1959, Ella started work on one other main songbook, this one in every of George and Ira Gershwin’s timeless classics. “Love Is Here to Stay” was recorded the primary day, as was “The Man I Love” and “A Foggy Day.” Two days later, Ella did “Somebody Loves Me,” with “I’ve Got a Crush on You” being achieved on January 8. In all, Ella did 57 Gershwin compositions; aged 41, she was on the very peak of her vocal powers.
Ella and the Gershwins had been previous mates. In the summertime of 1950, Decca got here up with the concept of doing an album with simply Ella and piano accompaniment, on this case, Ellis Larkins. The resultant album, Ella Sings Gershwin, is beautiful.
“I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them.” – Ira Gershwin
A brand new songbook meant a brand new arranger, and Granz lastly received Nelson Riddle into the studio with Ella, one thing he had been trying to do since she had arrived at Verve. It was the right mixture, with Ella and Riddle growing a agency friendship. Her Gershwin classes had been interspersed with others for Hey Love, Candy Songs for Swingers, and Get Pleased!; Granz was cautious to stockpile songs for these different albums when Ella’s hectic touring schedule allowed her time within the studio.
Such was the extent of the Gershwin’s songbook that recording didn’t end till July 18, 1959. It was whereas Ella was recording the Gershwin Songbook that Norman Granz moved to Lugano in Switzerland. He was more and more concerned with live performance promotion and managing the careers of Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson along with Ella, and in late 1960, he bought Verve Information to MGM. Previous to this, Granz took the Jazz At The Philharmonic tour to Europe in February and, on the Deutschland Halle in Berlin, Ella was recorded for what turned Mack The Knife – Ella In Berlin.
The success of Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Track E-book, if measured in chart phrases, is at finest common, spending simply 5 weeks on the bestseller checklist, however that’s taking a look at this monumental recording from the unsuitable perspective. Ella takes songs which might be a lot liked, and far performed and makes them sound recent and alive, new even. It did, nevertheless, win a Grammy for Greatest Vocal Efficiency, Feminine on the 1960 ceremony. And let’s not overlook, this was a five-album set, one which has subsequently turn out to be a 4CD set, with alternate takes and different rarities. Immerse your self in a few of the biggest singing by any singer, anytime, wherever.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Track E-book could be purchased right here.
