The Official ELLA FITZGERALD Love Thread

[BroadwaySinger2]

It's about time we had one!

[PalJoey]

Everyone here has heard me say over and over again how I saw Ella Fitzgerald once a year from 1971 until her final concert, either at Carnegie Hall or Avery Fisher or Tanglewood, and finally at Radio City.

She was the essence of joy.

[PalJoey]

This YouTube poster has 94 videos up, of Ella and other female vocalists.

Look for many wonderful versions of Ella's How High the Moon, Lady Be Good, Mack the Knife and Body and Soul, and her duets with Jo Stafford, Dinah Shore and the Swing into Spring medley with Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman.
chico75pi's Videos

[erikaamato]

Ella has my undying, eternal devotion. I'm often asked who my favorite jazz vocalist of all time is, and I always answer, "Ella Fitzgerald. Period." I hesitate to even list her as an "influence," because one could only hope to achieve a modicum of her brilliance. Love. Her.

[25th Annual Speller]

She is amazing. We MUST keep this thread alive.

[BroadwaySinger2]

That album is my absolute favorite! I also love her recording of "My Funny Valentine".

[JoeKv99]

So many great songs, such a great voice! Lady is a Tramp, Bewtched bothered & bewildered, These foolish things. She was the BEST.

[Effie Im TIRED]

I discovered Ella when I was a junior in high school, because instead of downloading the Justin Timberlake song, I accidentally downloaded Ella's Cry Me A River. She's been my favorite singer ever since and I could care less about JT.

Anyone seen the videos of Ella singing with Karen Carpenter?

[sidneybruhl]

How could you not love Ella? What a great performer.

[PalJoey]

Yes, it's a great video but this one will really give you an idea of what she was like with her peers:

Ella, Sarah Vaughan, Pearl Bailey
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bSexf4lqxtI

[BroadwaySinger2]

We definitely should have an Ella Fitzgerald Theatre in NYC!

[Garland Grrrl]

AAAANNNNDDDD IIIIIIIIEYIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WIIILL AAAAAALLLLWAAAYYYSSSSS LLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....

[BroadwaySinger2]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=blNbsBLjN94&mode=related&search=

^^She made me cry.

[PalJoey]

Isn't that a beautiful rendition of "A House Is Not a Home"?

It's on this album, along with gorgeous renditions of "This Girl's in Love with You," "Watch What Happens," "Trouble Is a Man" and Jobim's "Useless Landscape."

[PalJoey]

Here's a gorgeous one of Ella with Nelson Riddle.

[kissmycookie]

Her American songbook series is probably one of the best collections ever.

[BroadwaySinger2]

BUMP because it was WAY too early for this thread to die.

[n69n]

my favorite Ellas are either ANGEL EYES or BETWEEN THE DEVIL & THE DEEP BLUE SEA

no, wait!

my favorite is the double album she & Louis Armstrong did of PORGY & BESS...& the best parts are Ellla'a BUZZARD SONG & in the Strawberry Woman song when it sounds like shes peeking her head into little strawberries' bedrooms & waking them up in a cheerful way...

"strawberries?
strawwwwberrrries!
strawberries??
strawwwwwberries!!!"

[PalJoey]

lol, norn. There are certain parts of the Porgy and Bess score that Ella just doesn't seem to get.

But you can't say she's not a game gal!

And yes, Angel Eyes, is beautiful. Here are two videos of her singing the song. The first is from 1957, when she on top of her game, recording all the Songbooks and traveling around the world.

The second is from a concert in Japan in 1983. Her voice is less supple and more mature, but on ballads like this, she was smokin'! This was the era during which I saw her, so even though I love her Songbooks (and earlier recordings), this 1980s sound makes me nostalgic.

1957 Angel Eyes:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6m6vtHIXzF8

1983 Angel Eyes:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yR0khiMXOXQ

[cheezedoodle]

I had a co-worker make fun of me today because I had Ella's Old MacDonald on my ipod. I then got the last laugh when I pointed out he probably did know who she was - I was right.

[BroadwaySinger2]

I wish I had a chance to see one of her concerts...I probably would bawl through the entire thing!

[tazber]

Entertainment Weekly has a review of a documentary about her.

http://www.amazon.com/ELLA-FITZGERALD-LEGENDARY-FIRST-LADY/dp/B000MRAAJC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-2334945-1916801?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1176850807&sr=1-2

They gave to film a B+

[PalJoey]

BroadwaySinger, you would NOT have bawled, even during her ballads. There was too much joy in what she did, how she did it, how she enjoyed the music and the musicians and every note.

I never cried, not once in the 20 times I saw her over the years. But I still smile remembering those concerts.

[best12bars]

I had to bump this.

I'm listening to Ella's Decca box set.

She is untouchable.

She sings (seemingly) effortlessly.

It's so personal. As if she's speaking just to me this evening.

And she doesn't get in the way of a song when she interprets it. She celebrates it and lets the song have the spotlight.

At the same time, she shines like no other singer ever has with her simplicity of emotion and fluent communication with her audience.

[uncageg]

Now I love this thread!! I love Ella. Was raised listening to her. Just watched the DVD documentary Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For". A must see for Ella fans. It was a PBS documentary.

Reading this thread is the 1st thing I will do when I get back from the theatre tonight!

[spiderdj82]

She is tied with Etta James as my favorite singer of all time. I love this woman's voice SO MUCH. I need to get that box set. You can never have to much Ella.