The second of
Ella Fitzgerald's famed Songbook series features her singing 34 of the best songs co-written by
Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart. The arrangements by
Buddy Bregman for the string orchestra and big band only border on jazz but she manages to swing the medium-tempo numbers and give sensitivity to the ballads. With such songs as "You Took Advantage of Me," "The Lady Is a Tramp," "It Never Entered My Mind," "Where or When," "My Funny Valentine," and "Blue Moon," it is not too surprising that these recordings (originally released on a two-LP set) were so popular. ~ Scott Yanow