An Ella Splurge

Dear Glnen,

Should remorse set in, I will take them off your hands! [Smiley]!

Today I decided on two big purchases. Annie Fischer in the Beethoven Piano sonatas, and a whole ton of Ella. Miss Fitzgerald was an artist who was incomparably great.

Was your compilation, "Essential Ella?" Though she is a woman, and necessarily sings from the female perspective, I find her version of "My Funny Valentine," and also "Bewitched," completely heart-rending. Almost unbearably sad, but that is just the way she brings depth to it. In any case anyone can have a Valentine, though we don't always know who they were till too late.

Fredrik

Wolf, Which song books did you buy? I've got the Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers & Hart and Harold Arlen ones. Outstanding!

Ella and Louis and Ella and Louis Again are pretty special too. Great voice.
Steve

oh it's great to hear news about Ella, I saw a bio on her and she was such a wonderful woman, not a big voice, but they said she came along just as the microphone came into it's own and it was perfect for her intimate style. Such a rich and beautiful sound.

I bought teh Gershwin, Porter and Arlen songbooks. and a second copy of a compilation Ella's moods from Verve to give to a friend, that's where i saw in the credits where the songs were from so go online and bought them. Then had to get another one which i can't remember. I wanted to get an early one of Ella and Basie but they were out.

I just picked up the Ray Charles Sings and Basie Swings CD and it's fantastic, that orchestra is so fantastic even today.

I'm really getting into the big band and vocalists of the past. Listening to more jazz on the radio to the detriment of classical listening. I've tossed a few books from my shelf and have started a jazz/blues section with 2 Etta James some old Sarah Vaghn and Duke Ellingtone LPs. And 2 Willie Nelson tho that's a bit country, he wrote some great standards of the past. I'm looking for his Stardust LP.

I'm going to be checking out more on the Verve website for jazz compilations. It's great late night listening. I'm not into bebop or the harder stuff tho I know i've heard some that I liked in movie scors from teh past and on the radio just too much intense stuff gets on my nerves. The great vocalists/lyricists of yore I think ground the music and please me more.

I quite like the latest Diana Krall too. Well done.

I'm also reminded just now that Nat King Cole might just be my next big splurge. I'll have to go to Amoeba here in LA they have a large selection of jazz vinyl to check out, i'll just have to make sure I have some 100s in my wallet.

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Originally posted by Wolf:
Gershwin, Porter and Arlen songbooks

Fantastic stuff - the Arlen one is excellent and he deserves to be remembered more

quote:

I'm really getting into the big band and vocalists of the past.

Interesting I have been into big band since I was about 14 - probably becuase I played Alto Sax in those (far off) days. You can't go wrong with Ella, Sarah Vaughan and Duke. You might want to listen to Benny Goodman, Harry James, Count Basie, Woody Herman to mention a few.

quote:

And 2 Willie Nelson tho that's a bit country, he wrote some great standards of the past. I'm looking for his Stardust LP.

A genius under a cowboy hat

quote:

Nat "King" Cole

Another genius. You might need to go vinyl for this but see if you can get "St Louis Blues". I've got two very worn copies. "Nat King Cole Sings George Shearing Plays", "The Billy May Sessions", "At The Sands" (again I've got this on vinyl), "The Complete After Midnight Sessions". I am sure that others can point you towards more. I think I'll put St Louis Blues on now! 41 years dead and still sounding fine.

Steve

Dear Glenn,

I go in for these sorts of splurges all the time - I recently picked up 4 cycles of Sibelius symphonies (which has been a slightly mixed bag so far) and am currently splurging Donald Runnicles recordings (with very interesting results that will form the subject of a thread at some point).

However, I think it's hard to pick a better candidate than Ella who was a wonderful, wonderful singer, and I think you'll struggle to be disappointed. If you haven't picked it up yet, you should also check out Ella and Louis [Armstrong] sing Gershwin, which is one of my favourite CDs.


The only time I have really regretted it at all was with Bill Evans. That's not to say I own a single disc of his I dislike - I emphatically do not. More that since virtually my entire library of him (some 60 odd discs) is priciply contained in four or five box sets - and there's an extent to which I'd rather have the albums (though that would have taken up more space and money - so I shalln't complain too much.

Actually, just the other day I splurged again, placing an order for this 21 disc set of Fischer-Dieskau singing Schubert lieder. (Well, for £30 it seemed rather rude not to, frankly.)

regards, Tam

LOL you go Tam. sibelius? 4 cycles? wow. I've heard and like his stuff over teh years but I'll wiat for our home town boy, Salonen when he comes out with his recordings of Sibelius.

SteveGa thanks for the list I'll write them down and go check Amoeba records for this stuff. I've alwyas liked big band. Love old movies for the period and my parents find it odd I'm litening to their music. Tho I was aghast when mom said "I don't like ella" WHAT? I picked up some fun early Ella and sarah vinyl not great things but so wonderful to hear before they were really big.

I remember a quote in a movie a woman saying "I think Nat King Cole was a better piano player than a singer" I don't remember any of just his instramentals so I'll have to look for those too. I know Natlaie has done about 20 albums but somewhat uneven in her output. but I just haven't kept up with her. She was on an awards show back in late 70s and she just got down with a hot tempo R&B thing on stage and we all flabergasted the next day and talked about how great that was, but all she put out was light disco stuff.

I just put on a record called The Count Meets the Duke, Ellington and Basie bands swinging out, can't believe it was an outrageous $2. Boy is this stuff good. My dad used to dance to those bands in his teens in Connecticut before WW2. He always said Ellington was the best that ther ever was. I believe him. I also have the 2 LP showtune of Sophisticated Lady. I'll haev to put that on later tonight and give it a good listen.