Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book

Last updated
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book
SingstheHaroldArlenSongbook.jpg
Studio album by
Released1961
RecordedAugust 1, 1960 – January 14, 1961
Genre Jazz
Length1:41:01
Label Verve
Producer Norman Granz
Ella Fitzgerald chronology
Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from "Let No Man Write My Epitaph"
(1961)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book
(1961)
Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!
(1961)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [3]

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book is a 1961 (see 1961 in music) album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Billy May. This album marked the only time that Fitzgerald worked with May.

Contents

The Harold Arlen Song Book is the sixth album in Fitzgerald's series of recordings of songs written by the pantheon of Broadway composers who formed the body of work now considered the Great American Songbook .

The cover art is a drawing by Henri Matisse.

Track listing

For the 2-LP set originally released on the Verve label in 1961: Verve MG V-4046-2

Side One:

  1. "Blues in the Night" (Johnny Mercer) – 7:14
  2. "Let's Fall in Love" (Ted Koehler) – 4:05
  3. "Stormy Weather" (Koehler) – 5:17
  4. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" (Koehler) – 2:26
  5. "My Shining Hour" (Mercer) – 4:02
  6. "Hooray for Love" (Leo Robin) – 2:45

Side Two:

  1. "This Time the Dream's on Me" (Mercer) – 4:39
  2. "That Old Black Magic" (Mercer) – 4:13
  3. "I've Got the World on a String" (Koehler) – 4:54
  4. "Let's Take a Walk Around the Block" (Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg) – 4:03
  5. "Ill Wind" (Koehler) – 3:55
  6. "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" (Mercer) – 3:37

Side Three:

  1. "When the Sun Comes Out" (Koehler) – 5:10
  2. "Come Rain or Come Shine" (Mercer) – 3:24
  3. "As Long as I Live" (Koehler) – 3:48
  4. "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" (Harburg) – 3:30
  5. "It's Only a Paper Moon" (Harburg, Billy Rose) – 3:37
  6. "The Man That Got Away" (Gershwin) – 5:21

Side Four:

  1. "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" (Mercer) – 3:58
  2. "It Was Written in the Stars" (Robin) – 5:11
  3. "Get Happy" (Koehler) – 3:33
  4. "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" (Koehler) – 5:12
  5. "Out of This World" (Mercer) – 2:46
  6. "Over the Rainbow" (Harburg) – 4:21

First 2CD re-issue in 1988 added two previously unreleased bonus tracks; Both were included on the 2001 re-issue. Disc One:

4. "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" (Harburg) – 3:19

Disc Two:

12. "Sing My Heart" (Koehler) – 2:49

Bonus tracks issued on the 2001 Verve 2CD Reissue, 589108.

27. "Let's Take a Walk Around the Block" (Alternative take) – 4:07

28. "Sing My Heart" (Alternative take) – 2:32

All songs composed by Harold Arlen, with lyricists indicated.

Personnel

Recorded in five sessions from August 1, 1960 – July 14, 1961 in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Orchestra

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Arlen</span> American composer of popular music

Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, including "Over the Rainbow", Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the RIAA and the NEA.

<i>Ella in Hollywood</i> 1961 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella in Hollywood is a live 1961 album by Ella Fitzgerald, with a jazz quartet led by Lou Levy, recorded in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers</i> 1959 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers is a 1959 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded with a studio Orchestra arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from the Soundtrack of "Let No Man Write My Epitaph"</i> 1960 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from the Soundtrack of "Let No Man Write My Epitaph" is a 1960 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the pianist Paul Smith. Let No Man Write My Epitaph was a 1960 Hollywood crime drama film featuring Fitzgerald.

<i>Ella at Juan-Les-Pins</i> 1964 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella at Juan-les-Pins is a 1964 live album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a quartet led by Roy Eldridge on trumpet with the pianist Tommy Flanagan, Gus Johnson on drums and Bill Yancey on bass. Val Valentin was the recording engineer, cover photo by Jean-Pierre Leloir. The original 1964 album featured 12 songs, highlights of two concerts Fitzgerald performed on the 28 and 29 of July 1964 at the fifth annual Festival Mondial du Jazz Antibes in Juan-les-Pins, France. In 2002 Verve re-issued this album, including all the performances from both evenings. Ella is in fine voice, sounding very aggressive at times, as her voice leaps and growls. The listener also gets to hear Ella improvise a musical tribute to the crickets who are also in fine voice throughout the performance.

<i>The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books</i> 1994 compilation album by Ella Fitzgerald

The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books were a series of eight studio albums released in irregular intervals between 1956 and 1964, recorded by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, supported by a variety of orchestras, big bands, and small jazz combos.

<i>Ella and Basie!</i> 1963 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie

Ella and Basie! is a 1963 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, with arrangements by Quincy Jones and Benny Carter. It was later reissued with slightly different cover art as On the Sunny Side of the Street.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book</i> 1959 box set by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book is a box set by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald that contains songs by George and Ira Gershwin with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. It was produced by Norman Granz, Fitzgerald's manager and the founder of Verve Records. Fifty-nine songs were recorded in the span of eight months in 1959. It is one of the eight album releases comprising what is possibly Fitzgerald's greatest musical legacy: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Complete American Songbook, in which she recorded, with top arrangers and musicians, a comprehensive collection of both well-known and obscure songs from the Great American Songbook canon, written by the likes of Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, and Johnny Mercer.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book</i> 1963 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book is a 1963 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. The album focuses on the songs of the composer Jerome Kern.

<i>We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song</i> 2007 studio album by Various

We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song is a 2007 tribute album to Ella Fitzgerald produced by Phil Ramone for Verve Records, released to mark the 90th anniversary of her birth. The "all-star" list of featured vocalists is backed for most part by an orchestra led by Rob Mounsey. The album contains the first release of a duet of Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder, who joined her on stage with her small band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1977.

<i>Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall</i>

Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall is a 1962 live album by Tony Bennett. The June 9th concert was directed by Arthur Penn and Gene Saks. Carnegie Hall had not featured a pop performer until April 23, 1961 when Judy Garland recorded her legendary concert.

<i>Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter</i> 1986 studio album by Billy Eckstine and Benny Carter

Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter is a 1986 album by the American singer Billy Eckstine, accompanied by the alto saxophonist Benny Carter. The singer Helen Merrill appears in duet with Eckstine on the first and last songs of the album. This was Eckstine's only LP released on Verve Records, and marked his final album recordings.

<i>Songs for Distingué Lovers</i> 1958 studio album by Billie Holiday

Songs for Distingué Lovers is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday, released in 1958 on Verve Records. It was originally available in both mono and stereo. It was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles from January 3 to January 9, 1957, and produced by Norman Granz.

<i>All or Nothing at All</i> (album) 1958 studio album by Billie Holiday

All or Nothing at All is a studio album by Billie Holiday, released in 1958 on Verve Records, catalog MGV8329. There are 12 songs on the LP taken from five different recording sessions that took place in 1956 and 1957. Holiday was backed by a "relaxed and understanding" small combo which included the trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and the saxophonist Ben Webster. A 1959 New York Times article noted that Holiday's voice "had become a very limited instrument which she used with the craft and guile of an aging pitcher who can no longer pour his fast one across the plate."

<i>Oscar Peterson Plays the Harold Arlen Songbook</i> 1960 studio album by Oscar Peterson

Oscar Peterson Plays the Harold Arlen Songbook is an album by Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, which was recorded in 1959. It was reissued in 2001 combined with the 1954 recording Oscar Peterson Plays Harold Arlen.

<i>Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Harold Arlen</i> 1983 studio album by Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Harold Arlen is a 1983 album by Rosemary Clooney, of songs composed by Harold Arlen. The album was the first of five to feature guitarist Ed Bickert, and it also featured longtime Clooney collaborators Scott Hamilton, Warren Vaché Jr., and Jake Hanna. The album is also the only small-group album in her Concord discography not to feature either Nat Pierce or John Oddo on piano. Instead, Dave McKenna, who had a long-established solo career as a jazz pianist, joined Clooney for the album.

<i>Sings a String of Harold Arlen</i> 1961 studio album by Tony Bennett

Sings a String of Harold Arlen is a 1961 studio album by Tony Bennett. It consists of string arrangements of songs composed by Harold Arlen. The illustration on the cover is by Bob Peak.

<i>Twelve Nights in Hollywood</i> 2009 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Twelve Nights in Hollywood is a 2009 live album by the American jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, recorded at the Crescendo Club in Hollywood, Los Angeles over ten nights in May 1961, and a subsequent pair of performances in June 1962.

<i>Classic Duets</i> 2002 compilation album by Frank Sinatra

Classic Duets is a 2002 compilation album by Frank Sinatra.

<i>The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World</i> 1975 compilation album

The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World is a 1967 live album featuring Duke Ellington and his orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, T-Bone Walker, Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry and Zoot Sims. It was released in 1975.

References

  1. "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book". AllMusic . Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  3. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 490. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.