
The CD This classic 2-disc set is an aural encyclopedia of Porter's songs, beautifully performed in 1956 by singer Ella Fitzgerald when her voice was at its best, with slick orchestral arrangements by Buddy Bregman.

In listening to jazz, a good rule of thumb is "Know the song and you're halfway there." So for jazz newcomers unfamiliar with the Songbook, here's an introduction to the work of composer-lyricist Cole Porter. Background The Great American Songbooksongs written from the 1920's to the 1950's by giants such as Cole Porter, Rogers & Hart, Duke Ellington and the Gershwin brothershas inspired jazz musicians and singers for generations, supplying the raw material for endless improvisation.
#Ella fitzgerald cole porter songbook how to
(on tracks 1.1–2, 5, 7–8, 11, 13, 15, 2.Getting Started If you're new to jazz, go to our Getting Into Jazz primer for some hints on how to listen. George Roberts – bass and baritone trombone.Ted Nash – clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone.Bob Cooper – clarinet, oboe, tenor saxophone.Bud Shank – clarinet, flute, alto saxophoneĪdditional members on 1.7, 11, 15, 2.1, 6.Chuck Gentry – bass clarinet, baritone saxophone.Paul Smith – piano, celeste (on all tracks except 2.11).Personnel adapted from the liner notes of CD reissue. "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love" (Alternative take) – 5:25."I Concentrate on You" (Alternative take) – 3:00."You're the Top" (Alternative take) – 2:08." Don't Fence Me In" – 3:19 ( Robert Fletcher, co-lyricist)ġ997 reissue, previously unreleased bonus tracks." What Is This Thing Called Love?" – 2:02.


#Ella fitzgerald cole porter songbook series
This album inaugurated Fitzgerald's Song Book series, each of the eight albums in the series focusing on a different composer of the canon known as the Great American Songbook. įitzgerald's time on the Verve label would see her produce her most highly acclaimed recordings, at the peak of her vocal powers. The trick was to change the backing enough so that, here and there, there would be signs of jazz. I envisaged her doing a lot of composers. So I proposed to Ella that the first Verve album would not be a jazz project, but rather a song book of the works of Cole Porter. I was interested in how I could enhance Ella’s position, to make her a singer with more than just a cult following amongst jazz fans. Granz decided to have Fitzgerald record well-established popular works because This was Fitzgerald's first album for the newly created Verve Records (and the first album to be released by the label). Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song BookĮlla Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book is a 1956 studio double album by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, focusing on the songs of Cole Porter.
