Ella Fitzgerald - Ella in Hollywood (1961)

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella in Hollywood (1961)
Live at The Crescendo

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Verve Originals | rel: 2009

Allmusic:
An appearance in Hollywood for a first-rate jazz vocalist was not necessarily an opportunity to broadcast the singer's visage and pander to everyone from Tacoma to Tallahassee. It could also include a date at the Crescendo. The Sunset Strip's best chance to find premier jazz, Gene Norman's nightclub hosted dozens of jazz legends (and a comic or two), and produced more than its share of excellent LPs recorded on location. Better even than Mel Tormé's 1954 classic, the Ella Fitzgerald LP that resulted from her May 1961 appearances generated one of the best (and certainly most underrated) live records in her discography. All of her hallmarks -- technical wizardry, breakneck scatting, irrepressible humor and warmth -- are on full display, with a small but expressive quartet backing her performance (including pianist Lou Levy, guitarist Herb Ellis, drummer Gus Johnson, and bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks). Although it's full of brilliance, the highlights are clear: a nine-minute scat masterpiece of "Take the 'A' Train," with chorus after chorus of variations, and the shorter but still excellent "Mr. Paganini." (The latter is one of the nods to her early career, along with a set-closing "Air Mail Special.") The balladry is masterful as well, with "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" and "Satin Doll" high on the list. Rarely given a spot on the best LPs of her career, Ella in Hollywood is nonetheless a classic glimpse of Ella at her on-stage best.

Tracks
-01. "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" (Steve Allen) – 2:33
-02. "I've Got the World on a String" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) – 3:44
-03. "You're Driving Me Crazy" (Walter Donaldson) – 3:23
-04. "Just in Time" (Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne) – 1:56
-05. "It Might as Well Be Spring" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) – 3:07
-06. "Take the "A" Train" (Billy Strayhorn) – 9:04
-07. "Stairway to the Stars" (Matty Malneck, M Parish, Frank Signorelli) – 3:56
-08. "Mr. Paganini" (Sam Coslow) – 4:05
-09. "Satin Doll" (Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Strayhorn) – 2:53
-10. "Blue Moon" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 3:17
-11. "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?" (C Warfield, Clarence Williams) – 3:41
-12. "Air Mail Special" (Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Mundy) – 5:26
Recorded live, May 11- May 21, 1961, Hollywood, Los Angeles

Personnel
*Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
*Wilfred Middlebrooks - Bass
*Lou Levy - Piano
*Gus Johnson - Drums
*Herb Ellis - Guitar

sample & buy: Ella in Hollywood (Dig)