ELLA FITZGERALD - Complete 1950 to 1960 Piano Duets
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55724 (2CD Set)
CD One
Tracks 1 to 8
With Ellis Larkins ( pno ); Recorded New York, 11 & 12 September 1950
Tracks 9 to 20
With Ellis Larkins ( pno ); Recorded New York, 29 & 3 March 1954
CD Two
Track 1
With Paul Smith ( pno ); Recorded Los Angeles, 7 February 1956
Track Two
With Oscar Peterson ( pno ); Recorded Los Angeles,17 October1957
Tracks 3 to 15
With Paul Smith ( pno ); Recorded Hollywood, 14 & 19 April 1960
Tracks 16 to 19
With Barney Kessel ( gtr ); Recorded Los Angeles, August & September 1956
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55724 (2CD Set)
CD One
Tracks 1 to 8
With Ellis Larkins ( pno ); Recorded New York, 11 & 12 September 1950
Tracks 9 to 20
With Ellis Larkins ( pno ); Recorded New York, 29 & 3 March 1954
CD Two
Track 1
With Paul Smith ( pno ); Recorded Los Angeles, 7 February 1956
Track Two
With Oscar Peterson ( pno ); Recorded Los Angeles,17 October1957
Tracks 3 to 15
With Paul Smith ( pno ); Recorded Hollywood, 14 & 19 April 1960
Tracks 16 to 19
With Barney Kessel ( gtr ); Recorded Los Angeles, August & September 1956
ELLA FITZGERALD - The Legendary Rome Concert
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55723
Tracks 1 to 17
With Lou Levy ( pno ) Max Bennett ( bass ) Gus Johnson ( drs )
Recorded Teatro Sistina, Rome,25 April 1958
Track 18
With Herb Ellis ( gtr ) Oscar Peterson ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass )
Track 19 to 24
With Oscar Peterson ( pno ) Herb Ellis ( gtr ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Jo Jones (drs )
Recorded at the Civic Auditorium, Seattle, 11 October 1956
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55723
Tracks 1 to 17
With Lou Levy ( pno ) Max Bennett ( bass ) Gus Johnson ( drs )
Recorded Teatro Sistina, Rome,25 April 1958
Track 18
With Herb Ellis ( gtr ) Oscar Peterson ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass )
Track 19 to 24
With Oscar Peterson ( pno ) Herb Ellis ( gtr ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Jo Jones (drs )
Recorded at the Civic Auditorium, Seattle, 11 October 1956
ELLA FITZGERALD - The Complete Birdland Broadcasts
Original Jazz Classics EJC55726 (2 CD Set)
CD One
Tracks 1 to 7
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Charli Smith ( drs )
Recorded 30 December 1950
Tracks 8 to 11
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Clyde Lombardi ( bass ) Charlie Smith ( drs )
Recorded 19 May 1951
Tracks 12 to 17
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Sandy Block ( bass ) Jimmy Crawford ( drs )
Recorded 7 June 1952
Tracks 18 to 21
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Nelson Boyd ( bass ) Roy Haynes ( drs )
Recorded Summer 1952
Tracks 22 to 25
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Charlie Smith ( drs )
Recorded 25 April 1949
CD Two
Tracks 1 to 6
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Nelson Boyd ( bass ) Roy Haynes ( drs )
16 August 1952
Tracks 7 to 11
Same as tracks 1 tto 6
Recorded 17 August 1952
Tracks 12 to 19
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Charlie Smith ( drs )
Recorded 30 April 1949
For “Flying Home” add Flip Phillips ( tnr ) Brew Moore ( tnr ) Howard McGhee ( tpt ) Machito
( perc )
Recorded live at the Royal Roost, New York, 15 April 1949
Tracks 20 to 25
With Don Abney ( pno ) Wendell Marshall ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded july 1957
The highlights of the “Piano Duet” album are to be found on CD One which were recorded by Decca prior to the Norman Granz period. Tracks 1 to 8 were originally issued as “Ella Sings Gershwin” and preceded the Song Book series by a number of years, the follow up album was titled “Songs In A Mellow Mood” and is packed with songs from that period of great song writing.
Ellis Larkins is the ideal accompanist never intruding into the singers space but filling in when the need arises.
Some of the outstanding tracks to look out for the Gershwin album are ”Looking For A Boy”, “I’ve Got A Crush On You” and “Maybe”.
The standard of the balance of the tracks is so high that it is difficult to select outstanding ones but “I’m Glad There Is You”, “Please Be Kind” and “You Leave Me Breathless” have a little something extra which give them that little push.
CD Two is fairly equal mixture of tracks from the Songbook series presided over by Norman Granz and the duo tracks made a refreshing break from the larger group tracks and the performance to look out for is Billy Stray horn’s “Lush Life”.
The rest of the tracks are from the album “Let No Man Be My Epitaph” which was the title of a film in which Ella had an acting role, the songs on the album bore no relation to the film but which were a good choice of well known standards. To my knowledge this is first appearance on CD and didn’t have much success in the LP format although it’s much to recommend it.
“I Hadn’t Anyone Till You”, “Black Coffee” and “Then You’ve Never Been Blue” which has a nice piano intro by Paul Smith are tracks to watch out for.
The Rome Concert is one of her best recorded live concerts backed by a brilliant trio led by pianist Lou Levy there is some scatting but not too much to be over bearing.
There is a superb version of “These Foolish Things” complete with the little heard verse which is rarely used by other singers which is a pity as it is well worth hearing. There is a lightly swinging version of “That Old Black Magic” which is helped along by the trio particularly by Gus Johnson on the drums.
There is a beautiful respectable reading of Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” unlike some of the over the top versions by some singers.
The tempo for Hampton and Mercer’s “Midnight Sun” is just right to bring out the best in the song helped in no smal way by the trio who are at their best. “Sophisticated Lady” shows just what a brilliant ballad singer she is finding just the right tempo and approach to the song.
Oscar Peterson takes over the piano chair for the final number “Stomping At The Savoy” along with Herb Ellis on guitar and Ray Brown at the bass which starts off at a pleasant tempo with Ella having a fit of the giggles but soon develops into one of those long scat episodes but Oscar Peterson has a swing solo.
The balance of the tracks are from the 1956 Seattle Concert with the Oscar Peterson Trio plus the drummer Jo Jones which has a lovely version of Ellington’s ”Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me” and a rocking “Roll ’Em Pete” and beautiful performance of Cole Porters “Easy To Love”.
The album “The Complete Birdland Broadcasts” relates to a golden period of Americal radio when broadcasts of this type were commonplace rather than a rare event.. Because these recordings were taken from radio broadcasts the sound quality is more than acceptable.
Although many of the songs are from th singer’s recordings or personal appearances it is often possible to come across songs that the artist has not been commercially recorded.
The Matt Dennis song “Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World” which Ella comes up with her version and it’s the only other one I have heard other than the writers.
The song made famous by Nat King Cole “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” is given the Ella teatment although in her introduction Ella mentions the Johnny Ray version. “The Fram Fram Sauce” which will always be associated with the Nat Cole Trio is given a swinging treatment by Ella.
Jo Stafford had something of a hit with “You Belong To Me” and Ella comes up with a beautiful reading of the song.
CD Two is more of the same with a handful of unfamiliar songs to Ella’s repertoire the best of these is “Be Anything, But Be Mine” which is sung with great feeling.
Many of the songs on these two CDs are repeated but that is the nature of these type of recordings but they do nothing to spoil the listening experience.Hank Jones at the piano and never puts a foot wrong and all the supporting musicians play at a high standard.
If I was in a situation in which I had to choose which release to purchase it would have to be the “Piano Duets” album but any of the three have something to commend them.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Original Jazz Classics EJC55726 (2 CD Set)
CD One
Tracks 1 to 7
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Charli Smith ( drs )
Recorded 30 December 1950
Tracks 8 to 11
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Clyde Lombardi ( bass ) Charlie Smith ( drs )
Recorded 19 May 1951
Tracks 12 to 17
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Sandy Block ( bass ) Jimmy Crawford ( drs )
Recorded 7 June 1952
Tracks 18 to 21
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Nelson Boyd ( bass ) Roy Haynes ( drs )
Recorded Summer 1952
Tracks 22 to 25
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Charlie Smith ( drs )
Recorded 25 April 1949
CD Two
Tracks 1 to 6
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Nelson Boyd ( bass ) Roy Haynes ( drs )
16 August 1952
Tracks 7 to 11
Same as tracks 1 tto 6
Recorded 17 August 1952
Tracks 12 to 19
With Hank Jones ( pno ) Ray Brown ( bass ) Charlie Smith ( drs )
Recorded 30 April 1949
For “Flying Home” add Flip Phillips ( tnr ) Brew Moore ( tnr ) Howard McGhee ( tpt ) Machito
( perc )
Recorded live at the Royal Roost, New York, 15 April 1949
Tracks 20 to 25
With Don Abney ( pno ) Wendell Marshall ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded july 1957
The highlights of the “Piano Duet” album are to be found on CD One which were recorded by Decca prior to the Norman Granz period. Tracks 1 to 8 were originally issued as “Ella Sings Gershwin” and preceded the Song Book series by a number of years, the follow up album was titled “Songs In A Mellow Mood” and is packed with songs from that period of great song writing.
Ellis Larkins is the ideal accompanist never intruding into the singers space but filling in when the need arises.
Some of the outstanding tracks to look out for the Gershwin album are ”Looking For A Boy”, “I’ve Got A Crush On You” and “Maybe”.
The standard of the balance of the tracks is so high that it is difficult to select outstanding ones but “I’m Glad There Is You”, “Please Be Kind” and “You Leave Me Breathless” have a little something extra which give them that little push.
CD Two is fairly equal mixture of tracks from the Songbook series presided over by Norman Granz and the duo tracks made a refreshing break from the larger group tracks and the performance to look out for is Billy Stray horn’s “Lush Life”.
The rest of the tracks are from the album “Let No Man Be My Epitaph” which was the title of a film in which Ella had an acting role, the songs on the album bore no relation to the film but which were a good choice of well known standards. To my knowledge this is first appearance on CD and didn’t have much success in the LP format although it’s much to recommend it.
“I Hadn’t Anyone Till You”, “Black Coffee” and “Then You’ve Never Been Blue” which has a nice piano intro by Paul Smith are tracks to watch out for.
The Rome Concert is one of her best recorded live concerts backed by a brilliant trio led by pianist Lou Levy there is some scatting but not too much to be over bearing.
There is a superb version of “These Foolish Things” complete with the little heard verse which is rarely used by other singers which is a pity as it is well worth hearing. There is a lightly swinging version of “That Old Black Magic” which is helped along by the trio particularly by Gus Johnson on the drums.
There is a beautiful respectable reading of Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” unlike some of the over the top versions by some singers.
The tempo for Hampton and Mercer’s “Midnight Sun” is just right to bring out the best in the song helped in no smal way by the trio who are at their best. “Sophisticated Lady” shows just what a brilliant ballad singer she is finding just the right tempo and approach to the song.
Oscar Peterson takes over the piano chair for the final number “Stomping At The Savoy” along with Herb Ellis on guitar and Ray Brown at the bass which starts off at a pleasant tempo with Ella having a fit of the giggles but soon develops into one of those long scat episodes but Oscar Peterson has a swing solo.
The balance of the tracks are from the 1956 Seattle Concert with the Oscar Peterson Trio plus the drummer Jo Jones which has a lovely version of Ellington’s ”Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me” and a rocking “Roll ’Em Pete” and beautiful performance of Cole Porters “Easy To Love”.
The album “The Complete Birdland Broadcasts” relates to a golden period of Americal radio when broadcasts of this type were commonplace rather than a rare event.. Because these recordings were taken from radio broadcasts the sound quality is more than acceptable.
Although many of the songs are from th singer’s recordings or personal appearances it is often possible to come across songs that the artist has not been commercially recorded.
The Matt Dennis song “Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World” which Ella comes up with her version and it’s the only other one I have heard other than the writers.
The song made famous by Nat King Cole “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” is given the Ella teatment although in her introduction Ella mentions the Johnny Ray version. “The Fram Fram Sauce” which will always be associated with the Nat Cole Trio is given a swinging treatment by Ella.
Jo Stafford had something of a hit with “You Belong To Me” and Ella comes up with a beautiful reading of the song.
CD Two is more of the same with a handful of unfamiliar songs to Ella’s repertoire the best of these is “Be Anything, But Be Mine” which is sung with great feeling.
Many of the songs on these two CDs are repeated but that is the nature of these type of recordings but they do nothing to spoil the listening experience.Hank Jones at the piano and never puts a foot wrong and all the supporting musicians play at a high standard.
If I was in a situation in which I had to choose which release to purchase it would have to be the “Piano Duets” album but any of the three have something to commend them.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
