|
The Birthday Concert
This live recording captures an exceptional
performance from 1958, with a broad selection of standards that
digs into the Songbooks that Ella Fitzgerald was then immersed
in. Duke Ellington is prominent in the repertoire, with versions
of "Sophisticated Lady" and "Caravan," as
well as the lesser-known "Just Squeeze Me." There are
nods as well to George and Ira Gershwin, with "A Foggy Day"
and "I Loves You, Porgy," and Cole Porter, with Ella
soaring on "Just One of Those Things" and "It's
All Right with Me." The accompaniment is both perfectly
supportive and unobtrusive, with Fitzgerald's working trio of
Lou Levy on piano, Max Bennett on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums
supplying just what's needed on ballads and up-tempo swing tunes
alike. --Stuart Broomer |
....
Reviewer: Peter from S.F.
This is, quite simply, her BEST
live recording....yes, even BETTER than her legendary Berlin
concert in '60, released as "Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife".
In contrast to that overrated recording, She sounds invigorated
and fresh here. The "Mack the Knife" concert is often
touted and overblown only because of her electrifying improvisational
performance of the title song. Yes, that was an ingenious moment
where she made up the words as she sang along, never skipping
a beat. Here on Fitzgerald's Birthday Concert CD, there is no
one song that stands out, rather almost the entire set blends
seamlessly into one cohesive concert and performance. If there
is a standout, she truly brings down the house in her tender
rendering of the two ballads, "I Love You Porgy" and
"These Foolish Things". I dare any listener not to
be moved or touched in the slightest way after these two performances.
Her take of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" is
hilarious as she imitates Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong
and Rose Murphy in the same song. The ballads are what makes
this CD a must buy. Her "Angel Eyes" almost makes you
forget Sinatra's version, and she's backed by a first-rate trio. |
|
|
