Careful perusal of
Ella Fitzgerald's humongous discography reveals numerous references to metallurgy, including platinum, silver, and more than a dozen titles containing the word "gold." Released in 2007,
Fitzgerald's double-disc entry in Verve's
Gold series outshines most of the competition with 40 chronologically presented titles recorded between May 1938 and October 1964. With disc one dedicated to her Deccas and disc two devoted to her Verves, this well-organized anthology of intelligently selected works is highly recommended as a definitive portrait of this archetypal vocalist whose improvisational abilities are legendary.
Fitzgerald's early period is represented here by examples of her work with
Chick Webb's Orchestra,
the Ink Spots,
the Delta Rhythm Boys and
Louis Jordan's Tympany Five, a tight little group temporarily transformed into a hot calypso band for the notoriously outrageous and wickedly funny "Stone Cold Dead in the Market." Her further adventures as a Decca recording artist include comparatively well-behaved and sometimes sugary collaborations with
Gordon Jenkins, the Song Spinners,
Sy Oliver, and
Ray Brown, in addition to her 1950 duet with
Louis Armstrong, "Dream a Little Dream of Me." Appalled at what he regarded as Decca's lousy management of a gifted artist, producer
Norman Granz proudly showcased
Fitzgerald on his Verve and Pablo labels from 1956 throughout most of the remainder of her career. This fruitful business arrangement is documented here with examples from the
Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart,
Duke Ellington,
Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin,
Harold Arlen,
Jerome Kern and
Johnny Mercer songbook projects; more friendly duets with
Louis Armstrong, a Jazz at the Philharmonic jam on "Lady Be Good," and two classic cuts from her deservedly famous concert performance at the Berlin Deutschland Halle on February 13, 1960. Like its companion
Dinah Washington volume in the series,
Ella Fitzgerald's Decca/Verve
Gold is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a definitive dose of her best work. ~ arwulf arwulf