CD review: Ella Fitzgerald – Sweet And Lovely 2022: Video, CD cover

Recognized worldwide as “The First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald is arguably the finest female jazz vocalist of all time. Blessed with a highly resonant voice, wide range, and near-perfect elocution, Fitzgerald also possessed a deft sense of swing, and with her brilliant scat technique, could hold her own against any of her instrumental contemporaries.

She came to initial popularity as a member of drummer Chick Webb’s band in the 1930s, scoring a hit with a “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” before ascending to wide acclaim in the 1940s with Jazz at the Philharmonic and Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band, and issuing landmark performances like “Flying Home” and “How High the Moon.” Working with producer/manager Norman Granz, she gained even more acclaim with her series of albums on Verve, recording definitive versions of the music of the Great American Songbook composers, including 1956’s Sings the Cole Porter Songbook.

Over her 50-year career, she earned 13 Grammy Awards, sold over 40 million albums, and picked up numerous accolades including a National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A hugely important cultural figure, Fitzgerald made an immeasurable impact on the development of jazz and popular music, and remains a touchstone for fans and artists decades after her passing.

01. Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love)
02. These Boots Are Made For Walking
03. Here’s That Rainy Day
04. Summertime
05. It Don’t Mean A Thing
06. Jazz Samba
07. Mack The Knife
08. The Midnight Sun Never Sets
09. Goin’ Out Of My Head
10. Sweet And Lovely
11. Misty
12. ‘S Wonderful
13. St. Louis Blues
14. How High The Moon