Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
Studio album by Ella Fitzgerald
Released 1957
Recorded June 25 - October 17, 1957
Genre Jazz
Length 166:32
Label Verve MGV 4008-2 (Volume 1) and MGV 4009-2 (Volume 2)[1][2]
Producer Norman Granz
Ella Fitzgerald chronology
Ella and Louis Again
(1957)		 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
(1957)		 Like Someone in Love
(1957)
Duke Ellington chronology
Such Sweet Thunder
(1957)		 Ella Fitzgerald sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
(1957)		 Ellington Indigos
(1957)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[4]

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book is a 1957 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the Duke Ellington orchestra, focusing on Ellington's songs.

Part of Fitzgerald's series of 'Songbooks', it is the only one where the composer is also featured as a performer. This was the first time that Fitzgerald had recorded with Ellington. It is also the entry in the Songbook series that gives her by far the most opportunities to exhibit her skill at scat singing.

The greater part of disc three is devoted to two original compositions by Strayhorn, inspired by Fitzgerald's life, character and artistry. Fitzgerald's performance on this album won her the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance, Individual at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards.[5]

The album was released in two volumes; the first volume comprised Fitzgerald with the Ellington orchestra, the second of Fitzgerald with a small group setting.[1][2]

This album marked the start of a fruitful artistic relationship for Fitzgerald and Ellington. The 1960s would see them perform on the Côte d'Azur for the album Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur (1966), and in Sweden for The Stockholm Concert, 1966. Their only other studio album is Ella at Duke's Place (1965).

Track listing

For the 1957 Verve 4-LP set: Verve MGV 4010-4

Disc one

  1. "Rockin' in Rhythm" (Harry Carney, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills) – 5:17
  2. "Drop Me Off in Harlem" (Nick Kenny) – 3:48
  3. "Day Dream" (John La Touche, Billy Strayhorn) – 3:56
  4. "Caravan" (Ellington, Mills, Juan Tizol) – 3:51
  5. "Take the "A" Train" (Strayhorn) – 6:37
  6. "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" (Ellington, Don George) – 4:39
  7. "Clementine" (Strayhorn) – 2:37
  8. "I Didn't Know About You" (Bob Russell) – 4:10
  9. "I'm Beginning to See the Light" (Ellington, George, Johnny Hodges, Harry James) – 3:24
  10. "Lost in Meditation" (Mills, Lou Singer, Tizol) – 3:24
  11. "Perdido" (Ervin Drake, H.J Lengsfelder, Tizol) – 6:10
  12. "Cotton Tail" (Duke Ellington) – 3:23
  13. "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" (Russell) – 7:38
  14. "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'" (Lee Gaines, Strayhorn) – 3:30
  15. "(In My) Solitude" (Eddie DeLange, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills) – 2:04
  16. "Rocks in My Bed" – 3:56
  17. "Satin Doll" (Johnny Mercer, Strayhorn) – 3:26
  18. "Sophisticated Lady" (Mitchell Parish) – 5:18

Disc two

  1. "Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)" (Gaines) – 4:13
  2. "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" (Ellington, Mills) – 4:12
  3. "Azure" (Mills) – 2:18
  4. "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" (Mills, Henry Nemo, John Redmond) – 4:08
  5. "In a Sentimental Mood" (Manny Kurtz, Mills) – 2:44
  6. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (Russell) – 4:59
  7. "Prelude to a Kiss" (Irving Gordon, Mills) – 5:26
  8. "Mood Indigo" (Barney Bigard, Mills) – 3:24
  9. "In a Mellow Tone" (Milt Gabler) – 5:07
  10. "Love You Madly" – 4:37
  11. "Lush Life" (Strayhorn) – 3:37
  12. "Squatty Roo" (Hodges) – 3:38
  13. "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So" (Mack David) – 4:12
  14. "All Too Soon" (Carl Sigman) – 4:22
  15. "Everything But You" (George, James) – 2:53
  16. "I Got it Bad (And That Ain't Good)" (Paul Francis Webster) – 6:11
  17. "Bli-Blip" (Sid Kuller) – 3:01

Disc three

  1. "Chelsea Bridge" (Strayhorn) – 3:20
  2. "Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald" (Strayhorn) – 16:10
    • First Movement: "Royal Ancestry"
    • Second Movement: "All Heart"
    • Third Movement: "Beyond Category"
    • Fourth Movement: "Total Jazz"
  3. "The E and D Blues" (E for Ella, D for Duke) (Strayhorn) – 4:48

Bonus Tracks; Issued on the Verve 1999 3CD re-issue, Verve 314 559 248-2

  1. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 4:03
  2. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 3:37
  3. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 3:59
  4. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 3:20
  5. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 1:38
  6. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 1:20
  7. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 5:35
  8. "Chelsea Bridge – rehearsal" – 3:39
  9. "All Heart – rehearsal" – 3:54
  10. "All Heart – alternative take I" – 3:33
  11. "All Heart – alternative take II" – 3:22
  12. "All Heart – alternative take III" – 3:25

Recorded June 15–October 27, 1957, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 "Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, Vol. 1". discogs.com. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, Vol. 2". discogs.com. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook at AllMusic
  4. ↑ Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 69. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  5. ↑ "1958 Grammy Winners". Grammy.com. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Ken Vail (1999). Duke's Diary. Scarecrow Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-8108-4119-2.
  7. ↑ J. Wilfred Johnson (5 August 2010). Ella Fitzgerald: An Annotated Discography; Including a Complete Discography of Chick Webb. McFarland. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-7864-5039-8.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/15/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.