Ella

Mark Fox · Post by **Mark Fox** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 10:04 am

Check out any of 'The Sogbook'sets-or those with Nelson Riddle-
Ella Swings Gently...
Elaa Swings Brightly....
and just about anything else.
'LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE'with Frank DeVol is superb.
Also ELLA 'LIVE'IN ROME for a concert performance.

View the Ella section at-
http://www.play.com
http://www.hmv.co.uk

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:41 pm

"Like someone in love" has been in my collection for many years--as have the 2 Rodgers and Hart songbooks.

But I have not come across "Ella swings gently" or "Ella swings brightly"-I shall check those out.

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:05 pm

Thanks Mark and Marian for all your suggestions.
I shall certainly be buying the "Songbook" soon.

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:47 pm

Hilary, Ella released quite a few albums with Songbook in the title

each album was a tribute to different song writers, ie Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Johnny Mercer and a few others. So there are many Songbook albums for you to choose from. Maybe a best of Ella compilation may be a good start off point

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:57 pm

HMV always has several Ella compilations in stock.

I think the Gershwin songbook is the best, followed closely by Rodgers & Hart. But all of the them are excellent. An important point to make is that she sings these songs conservatively, meaning there is moderate improvisation and no scatting. If you want scatting you should try for some of the non-songbook albums. Ella in Berlin is a good 'live' album.

Rmoore · Post by **Rmoore** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:07 pm

Yes definitely two sides to Ella - the Studio side where she sings and interprets the songs more beautifully than any other girl singer and the live side where she is just having fun!

Ella had a gift called relative pitch. This is different to perfect pitch which is where you can pluck a note correctly out of thin air. Relative pitch is where you find it impossible to sing out of pitch with any other instrument.

She was in my opinion one of the greatest female singers of all time in her heyday along with Karen Carpenter (different style but perfect voice).

As you've probably guessed, i'm a bit of a fan!

Richard

jon · Post by **jon** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:46 am

I also saw the programme on Monday. Got the feeling that they had limited archive footage of her as they seemed to be showing clips from the same show and there was only a voiceover interview with her and no live clips. Can't say Ella has ever particularly appealed to me as a singer; I guess she doesn't communicate to me much, but she is still an important artist.

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:56 am

Totally agree with Richard. The best female vocalist ever. So many good albums to choose from but just one in particular to name the "Harold Arlen Songbook"

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:12 am

Harold Arlen was a wonderful songwriter wasn't he?
I just looked him up and see his birth name was Hyman Arluk. He was one of twins but his twin only lived one day.

Marian.

Here are some of his major song titles..

* "A Sleepin' Bee" - lyrics by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote
* "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "As Long as I Live" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "Blues in the Night" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "Come Rain or Come Shine" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" - lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
* "For Every Man There's a Woman" - lyrics by Leo Robin
* "Get Happy" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "Down with Love"
* "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe" - lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
* "Hit the Road to Dreamland"
* "Hooray for Love" lyrics by Leo Robin
* "I Could Go On Singing" - lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
* "If I Only Had a Brain" - lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
* "If I Only Had a Heart" - lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
* "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "Ill Wind" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "It Was Written in the Stars"
* "I've Got the World on a String" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "It's Only a Paper Moon" - lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, Billy Rose
* "Last Night When We Were Young"
* "Let's Fall in Love" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "Let's Take a Walk Around the Block" lyrics by Ira Gershwin and E.Y. Harburg
* "My Shining Hour" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "Out of This World (Johnny Mercer song)" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "Over the Rainbow" - lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
* "Sing My Heart" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "Stormy Weather" - lyrics by Ted Koehler
* "That Old Black Magic" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "The Man That Got Away"
* "This Time the Dream's on Me" - lyrics by Johnny Mercer
* "When the Sun Comes Out" - lyrics by Ted Koehler

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:37 am

Definately some great songs there--although you missed "If I only had the nerve" which was the Cowardly Lions song. On the Michael Feinstein MGM album , he sings all 3 of the "If I only had a ...." songs", lasting about 8 minutes--a great selection-I love listening to the words-they are so clever.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:39 am

I suppose Richard, that you have heard [and maybe seen] the duet medley of Ella and Karen--pure magical,marvellous, music history.!!

Yes, I am also a fan of these 2 lovely ladies !

Mark Fox · Post by **Mark Fox** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:44 am

All this should have thoroughly confused the 'Ella album searcher'.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:17 pm

I'm sure Hilary will enjoy any of the albums she chooses.
Marian

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 1:37 pm

Thank you very much everyone.

I am listening to "Ella Love Songs" at the moment.
A lovely compilation of songs from Ella. The CD was released in 2005 so it is still available too buy in HMV.