When we think of America’s greatest jazz vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald, we usually look back on her most famous albums, such as her Songbook series or “Live” albums where she defined how to improvise on “Mack the Knife.” You forget that there were formative years where the First Lady of Song grew into becoming such an important figure. This single album release covers all of Ella’s appearances with the touring team of Jazz at the Philharmonic. They range from 1949 to 1954, and her change in repertoire, sound and delivery is palpable. It’s amazing what transformed in just five years.
The first shows come from a 1949 gig at Carnegie Hall, and Ella is a bebopping sensation as she sounds like “one of the boys” as she swings through pieces like “Robbin’s Nest” and “Somebody Loves Me.” Her voice is a bit tinnier at this stage in her career, almost sounding like Wayne Newton. She’s also not above horsing around and has a great time doing her Satchmo impersonation on “Basin Street Blues.” With the trio of Hank Jones/p, Ray Brown/b and Buddy Rich/dr she shows hints of later veritas with a gripping read of “Black Coffee.” With an all star band that includes wonderful solos by Lester Young and Charlie Parker, she delivers a heartfelt vocal on “Perdido.”
That ends the 1949 set. Five years later she’s a different lady. Oh, she still knows how to knock out the novelty numbers, and is a gas on “Hernando’s Hideaway” with Raymond Tunia/p, Herb Ellis/g, Ray Brown/b and JC Heard/dr But by this time she had started delving into the songbooks; not the one’s with Nelson Riddle’s orchestra, but the intimate ones with Ellis Larkins at the piano, and it shows. She sounds authoritative on a glowing “Bill” as well as convincingly enraptured on “ A Foggy Day.” And, here it is, only 1954, and in her mid 30s she already owns “Lullaby of Birdland” with her making turtle doves cooing like the most logical description of people kissing. This mix of pathos, passion and playfulness is what Ella Fitzgerald perfected it, and she’s already on the money by these shows.
Verve Records