Ella Fitzgerald – Alto CD

Hollywood Golden Era Songs

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:43:19 +0000

Full booklet notes with all dates, accompanists, film titles-inside !
“All the Songs and performances here are ‘unforgettable’ in that true sense that is so often abused nowadays. All came to fame in films of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s (‘Singin’ in the Rain, Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, High Noon ….) and will never, ever, go away !” (MusicalMerit)

1. That’s Entertainment (Dietz/Schwartz) (‘The Bandwagon’) 1953. 3.29
Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Cyd Charisse & Nanette Fabray

2. Singin’ in the Rain (Brown/Freed) (‘Singin’ In the Rain’) 1952 2.55
Gene Kelly
3. Over the Rainbow (Arlen/Harburg) (‘The Wizard Of Oz’) 1955 3.30
Judy Garland
4. When you wish upon a Star (Washington/Harline) (‘Pinocchio’) 1940. 3.14
Cliff Edwards
5. A Kiss to Build a Dream on (Kalmar/Ruby/Hammerstein II) (‘The Strip’) 3.01
Louis Armstrong Rec.1951
6. True Love (Porter) (‘High Society’) Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly. 1954 3.05
7. Puttin’ on the Ritz (Berlin) (‘Blue Skies’) Fred Astaire. 1952 2.50
8. S’Wonderful (G. & I. Gershwin) (‘An American In Paris’) 1951. 3.00
Gene Kelly & George Guetary
9. The Folks who Live on the Hill (Kern/Hammerstein II)
(‘High, Wide & Handsome’) Peggy Lee. 1957 3.38
10. Good Mornin’ (Brown/Freed) (‘Singin’ In The Rain’) 1952. 2.48
Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor

11. On the Street where you Live (Lerner/Loewe) (‘My Fair Lady’) 1958. 2.41
Vic Damone

12. Well did you Evah? (Porter) (‘High Society’) 1957. 3.48
Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby

13. Moon River (Mancini/Mercer) (‘Breakfast At Tiffany’s’) 1961 2.03
Audrey Hepburn

14. Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend (‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’) 1953. 3.30
Marilyn Monroe
15. Never on Sunday (Hadjiakis/Towne) (‘Never On Sunday’) 1960. 3.09
Nana Mouskouri

16. Baby it’s Cold Outside (Loesser) (‘Neptune’s Daughter’) 1949. 4.44
Esther Williams & Riccardo Montalban

17. Falling in Love Again (Holländer/Connelly) (‘The Blue Angel’) 1954. 2.57
Marlene Dietrich

18. A Couple of Swells (Berlin) (‘Easter Parade’) 1949. 2.37
Judy Garland & Fred Astaire
19. Swingin’ on a Star (Burke/VanHeusen) – 2.30 (‘Going My Way’) 1944. 2.29
Bing Crosby with the Williams Brothers Quartet

20. Wonderful Copenhagen (Loesser) (‘Hans Christian Andersen’) 1952. 2.04
Danny Kaye
21. Jeepers Creepers (Arlen Mercer) (‘Going Places’) 1939. 2.03
Louis Armstrong & his Orchestra
22. Buttons and Bows (‘The Paleface’) Bob Hope. 1948 2.59
23. High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) (Tiomkin/Washington) (‘High Noon’) 2.39
Frankie Laine. Rec.1952
24. Thank Heaven for Little Girls (Lerner/Loewe) (‘Gigi’) 1958. 2.17
Maurice Chevalier
25. As Time Goes by (Hupfeld) (‘Casablanca’) Dooley Wilson.1943. 2.45
26. Thanks for the Memory (Robin/Rainger) (‘The Big Broadcast of 1938’) – 2.28
Ella Fitzgerald with Andre Previn and his Orchestra. Rec.1955

Ella Fitzgerald sings SongBook Hits: Rodgers & Hart / Gershwins

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:41:06 +0000

“Ella herself acknowledged the Cole Porter Songbook album (ALN 1932) was a ‘turning point in my life. Doing those songbooks got me into spots I’d never been able to play before’. Porter commented ‘My, what marvellous diction that girl has’. Ira Gershwin was more appreciative remarking ‘I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them’ whilst Richard Rodgers said ‘Whatever she does to my songs, she always makes them sound better’.” (James Murray)

Rodgers & Hart Songbook –

[1] (We’ll have) Manhattan 2.49
[2] The Lady is a Tramp 3.22
[3] With a Song in My Heart 2.44
[4] Ten Cents a Dance 4.05
[5] I Didn’t Know What Time it Was 3.45
[6] I Could Write a Book 3.37
[7] My Funny Valentine 3.53
[8] Mountain Greenery 2.14
[9] Lover 3.14
[10] Blue Moon 3.10

(George & Ira) Gershwin Songbook –

[11] Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off 4.26
[12] Nice Work if You Can Get it 3.32
[13] S’Wonderful 3.28
[14] Someone to Watch Over Me 4.30
[15] They All Laughed 3.02
[16] A Foggy Day (in London Town) 3.30
[17] Our Love is Here to Stay 3.52
[18] They Can’t Take that Away from Me 3.07
[19] Embraceable You 4.49
[20] Fascinating Rhythm 3.21

Bonus Track

[21] Mack the Knife (Weill/Brecht/Blitzstein) live in Berlin 1960 4.21

Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks: Cole Porter & Irving Berlin

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:39:36 +0000

“Ella herself acknowledged that Cole Porter album was a ‘turning point in my life. Doing those song books helped me get into spots I’d never been able to play before’. Porter simply commented ‘My, what marvellous diction that girl has’. Ira Gershwin was more appreciative remarking ‘I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them’ whilst Richard Rodgers said ‘Whatever she does to my songs, she always makes them sound better’.” (James Murray)

Cole Porter Songs with orchestra conducted by Buddy Bregman (1956)
[1] Anything Goes 3.31
[2] I Get A Kick Out Of You 4.11
[3] You’re the Top 3.43
[4] Let’s Do It 3.43
[5] Begin The Beguine 3.47
[6] You Do Something To Me 2.29
[7] I Love Paris 5.06
Irving Berlin Songs with Paul Weston and his orchestra (1958)
[8] Isn’t this a Lovely Day? 3.26
[9] Cheek to Cheek 3.45
[10] How Deep is the Ocean? 3.08
[11] Blue Skies 3.43
[12] Always 3.06
[13] Let’s Face the Music and Dance 2.55
[14] It’s a Lovely Day Today 2.25
[15] I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm 2.56
Cole Porter Songs with orchestra conducted by Buddy Bregman (1956)
[16] Always True To You In My Fashion 2.57
[17] Just One Of Those Things 3.41
[18] I’ve Got You Under My Skin 2.50
[19] From This Moment On 3.28
[20] Night And Day 3.14
[21] Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye 3.42
[22] BONUS TRACK: April In Paris (Duke/Harburg) 4.42
with Count Basie Orchestra (Rec.1956)

Evr’y Time We Say Goodbye- All-Time Romantic Duets

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:39:13 +0000

“the resulting album bursts with relaxed, musicianly banter and sexual chemistry. Charles is growling and suggestive, Carter squirrelly and coy, and it remains one of the all-time great duet sets” (MoJo Collection- Album of the Year 1961: Ray Charles & Betty Carter: tracks 1-12 )

1. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye (Porter) 4.39
2. You and I (Wilson) 3.23
3. Goodbye (Jenkins)/We’ll be Together Again (Laine/Fisher) 3.17
4. People Will say We’re in Love (Rodgers/Hammerstein II) 2.49
5. Cocktails for Two (Coslow/Johnston) 3.12
6. Side by Side (Wood) 2.20
7. Baby, it’s Cold Outside (Loesser) 4.07
8. Together (DeSylva/Brown/Henderson) 1.31
9. For All We Know (Lewi/Coots) 3.40
10. Takes Two to Tango (Hoffman/Manning) 3.19
11. Alone Together (Schwartz/Dietz) 4.41
12. Just You, Just Me (Klages/Greer) 1.55

(1-12) Ray Charles & Betty Carter 1961 with Jack Halloran Singers / Marty Paich

13. Passing Strangers Billy Eckstine & Sarah Vaughan 2.38
14. Baby (You’ve Got What it Takes) Dinah Washington & Brook Benton 2.43
15. Dream a Little Dream of Me Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong 3.05
16. True Love Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly 3.06
17. Dedicated to You Billy Eckstine & Sarah Vaughan 2.43
18. Two Sleepy People Dean Martin & Line Renaud 2.52
19. I’ll String Along With You Doris Day & Buddy Clark 3.08
20. My Romance Frank Sinatra & Dinah Shore 3.14
21. (We’ll have) Manhattan Dinah Shore & Tony Martin 3.10
22. Georgia on My Mind Ray Charles 3.33
23. Unchain my Heart Ray Charles 2.50

Sings Gershwin “Our Love is Here to Stay” (The Songbook)

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:38:27 +0000

“Once Ella joined Verve to be produced by the legendary Norman Granz, they embarked on the defining project of her career, to record one by one the classic “songbooks” of America’s best composers of the “golden age of popular song”, and the series provided hit after hit and have made younger generations familiar with standards and rare show tunes. Richard Rodgers said ‘Whatever she does to my songs, she always makes them sound better’. (MusicalMerit)

1. But Not For Me 3.34
2. My One And Only 2.38
3. Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off 4.28
4. Oh! Lady Be Good 4.01
5. Nice Work If You Can Get It 3.34
6. S’Wonderful 3.31
7. The Man I Love 3.52
8. That Certain Feeling 3.04
9. By Strauss 2.32
10. Someone To Watch Over Me 4.33
11. They All Laughed 3.05
12. A Foggy Day (In London Town) 3.33
13. Clap Yo’ Hands 2.31
14. Strike Up The Band 2.35
15. Soon 2.22
16. Bidin’ My Time 2.42
17. Our Love Is Here To Stay 3.56
18. Love Walked In 3.54
19. They Can’t Take That Away From Me 3.11
20. Embraceable You 4.52
21. Fascinating Rhythm 3.24
22. Funny Face 3.25