ELLA 100 - Live At The Apollo
Concord Jazz CJA00280
Various Performers including Patti Austin, David Alan Grier, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz Wright with The Count Basie Orchestra.
Recorded Apollo Theatre, Harlem, NYC 22 October 2016
Now this is a strange one, a recording to celebrate the 100th Birthday of Ella Fitzgerald. It is the sort of show that the Americans (think they) do so well. There will be the Z list celebrities, with their dinner suits and dinner gowns, perfect teeth and carefully styled hair, leaping to their feet every time they recognise ( or not) the opening bars of a song.
Anyway back to the review... We start off with a 'hammy' recreation of Ella's debut at the Apollo in 1934 and an excruciating introduction by David Alan Grier , who is apparently an American Actor and Comedian,( don't give up the day job David!) Then we get a selection of the songs associated with the Great Lady, performed from mediocre to pretty good, by the guest 'stars' (Ain't Misbehavin, When I get Low, I get high,Do Nothin' and a selection from Porgy and Bess amongst others.) One or two more from Cassandra Wilson and Lizz Wright wouldn't have gone amiss! Each tune is preceded by inane chat from the co hosts, the aforementioned David Alan Grier and Patti Austin and not easy to programme out!
The real stars of the show is/are The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart, swinging effortlessly behind the singers.
I do hope the audience left the Apollo happier than this reviewer felt after hearing this CD. I have no doubt this is the sort of CD that will be popular with 'middle of the road' fraternity. True fans of the great Ella need only go to their own collection and select one of the 'Songbooks' to remind themselves ( if they need reminding) of how great an interpreter of the popular song Ella Fitzgerald was. In fact we do get a taste of Ella on the last track (skip to this!) 'People' recorded in Budapest.
Ella deserves a better tribute than this.
Reviewed by Clive Fleckner
Concord Jazz CJA00280
Various Performers including Patti Austin, David Alan Grier, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz Wright with The Count Basie Orchestra.
Recorded Apollo Theatre, Harlem, NYC 22 October 2016
Now this is a strange one, a recording to celebrate the 100th Birthday of Ella Fitzgerald. It is the sort of show that the Americans (think they) do so well. There will be the Z list celebrities, with their dinner suits and dinner gowns, perfect teeth and carefully styled hair, leaping to their feet every time they recognise ( or not) the opening bars of a song.
Anyway back to the review... We start off with a 'hammy' recreation of Ella's debut at the Apollo in 1934 and an excruciating introduction by David Alan Grier , who is apparently an American Actor and Comedian,( don't give up the day job David!) Then we get a selection of the songs associated with the Great Lady, performed from mediocre to pretty good, by the guest 'stars' (Ain't Misbehavin, When I get Low, I get high,Do Nothin' and a selection from Porgy and Bess amongst others.) One or two more from Cassandra Wilson and Lizz Wright wouldn't have gone amiss! Each tune is preceded by inane chat from the co hosts, the aforementioned David Alan Grier and Patti Austin and not easy to programme out!
The real stars of the show is/are The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart, swinging effortlessly behind the singers.
I do hope the audience left the Apollo happier than this reviewer felt after hearing this CD. I have no doubt this is the sort of CD that will be popular with 'middle of the road' fraternity. True fans of the great Ella need only go to their own collection and select one of the 'Songbooks' to remind themselves ( if they need reminding) of how great an interpreter of the popular song Ella Fitzgerald was. In fact we do get a taste of Ella on the last track (skip to this!) 'People' recorded in Budapest.
Ella deserves a better tribute than this.
Reviewed by Clive Fleckner
