Like the similarly titled collection on Curb Records, which focuses entirely on
Ella Fitzgerald's Capitol recordings, this
Best of Ella Fitzgerald is not a career summation. Taken from tracks recorded between 1973 and
Fitzgerald's mid-'80s retirement, this set demonstrates why
Fitzgerald was still a forceful and dynamic presence in jazz.
Fitzgerald's exquisite voice had taken on a rich, burnished quality by this point in her career, and though she was still more than capable of fleet scatting, she had started to favor slower tempos and lower registers. Compare the version of "Fine and Mellow" here to those recorded earlier in her career and the differences are apparent. Some think
Fitzgerald's best singing was done in this era, and they may be right. ~ TiVo Staff