| Get Happy! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1959 | |||
| Recorded | July 24, 1957 - July 11, 1959 in Hollywood, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 37:55 | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Producer | Norman Granz | |||
| Ella Fitzgerald chronology | ||||
| ||||
Get Happy! is a 1959 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded with various studio orchestras over a two-year period.
The original 12 songs on the album come from 5 different sessions, featuring orchestras led by Nelson Riddle, Frank DeVol, Russell (Russ) Garcia, Marty Paich or Paul Weston.
The first two tracks are from the sessions for the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook , which were later included on the 1998 reissue of the album, and Berlin's "Blue Skies" was recorded at the sessions for the 1958 album Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook , but inexplicably omitted from the final cut, despite featuring one Ella's most impressive extended scat improvisations.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
| New Record Mirror | 4/5 [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
Writing for Allmusic, music critic Scott Yanow wrote of the album "As usual, Ella uplifts all of the material and her best moments come on "Somebody Loves Me," a heartfelt "Moonlight Becomes You," a scat-filled "Blue Skies" and (somewhat surprisingly) "St. Louis Blues." Although this was not her most essential release, the formerly obscure Get Happy finds Ella Fitzgerald at the peak of her powers." [1]
For the 1959 Verve LP release; Verve V6-4036
Side One:
Side Two:
Bonus Tracks; Issued on the Verve 1998 CD re-issue, Verve 314 523 321-2
13. "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" (Originally released in 1959, on 7" single, a-side) (Van Alexander, Ella Fitzgerald) – 2:20
14. "The Swingin' Shepherd Blues" (Previously unreleased, alternate take) (Kenny Jacobson, Moe Koffman, Rhoda Roberts) – 2:50
Recorded in six sessions from July 24, 1957- July 11, 1959 in Hollywood, Los Angeles:
Tracks 1,2 Capitol Studios, Hollywood January 7, 1959 Nelson Riddle (arr, con) Paul Smith (p) Herb Ellis (g) Joe Mondragon (b) Bill Richmond (d) Conrad Gozzo, Cappy Lewis, Vito Mangano, Shorty Sherock (tpt); Dick Noel, Tommy Pederson, George Roberts (trmb);rmb)
Tracks 3,7 Radio Recorders, Hollywood, July 11, 1959 Frank DeVol (arr, con) Lou Levy (p) Herb Ellis (g) Joe Mondragon (b) Alvin Stoller (d) Frank Beach, Pete Candoli, Cappy Lewis, Al Porcino (t) Harry Betts, Dick Noel, George Roberts, lloyd Ulyate (vtrmb)
Track 4 United Recorders, Hollywood, September 3, 1959 Russell Garcia (arr, con) Claude Williamson, Jr. (p) Herb Ellis (g) Red Mitchell (b) Jack Sperling (drums) (d) Pete Candoli, Philip Candreva, Buddy Childers, Stu Williamson (t)
Tracks 5,6 United Recorders, Hollywood, September 3, 1959 Marty Paich (arr, con) Claude Williamson, Jr. (p) Herb Ellis (g) Red Mitchell (b) Jack Sperling (d) Pete Candoli, Philip Candreva, Buddy Childers, Stu Williamson (t)
Track 8 Radio Recorders, Hollywood, March 18, 1958 Paul Weston (arr, con) Paul Smith (p) Barney Kessel (g) Joe Mondragon (b) Alvin Stoller (d) John Best, Pete Candoli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Don Fagerquist, Mannie Klein (t)
Tracks 9-13 Capitol Studios. Hollywood, July 24, 1957 Frank DeVol (arr, con) Arnold Ross (p) Barney Kessel (g) Ben Webster (ts) Abe Luboff, Joe Mondragon, Philip Stephens (b) Alvin Stoller (d) Pete Candoli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Ray Linn, George Werth (t) Milt Bernha
Track 14 Radio Recorders Annex, Hollywood, March 19, 1958 Weston (arr, con) Harry "Sweets" Edison (t) Leonard Hartman, Matty Matlock. Ted Nash, or Fred Stulce (fl) Paul Smith (p) Barney Kessel (g) Joe Mondragon (vb; Alvin Stoller (d)
Harry "Sweets" Edison was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backing singers, most notably Frank Sinatra.
Mitchell Herbert Ellis, known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson.
Whisper Not is a 1966 studio album by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with the Marty Paich Orchestra. She had previously recorded with Marty Paich and his more familiar Dek-tette on the 1957 album Ella Swings Lightly.
Hello, Love is a 1959 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded over two sessions in 1957 and 1959.
A Swingin' Affair! is the twelfth studio album by Frank Sinatra. It is sometimes mentioned as the sequel to Songs for Swingin' Lovers.
Come Dance with Me! is an album by vocalist Frank Sinatra, released in 1959.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book is a 1957 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, focusing on Ellington's songs.
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.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book is a 1961 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.
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.
The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve is a compilation album released on Verve Records in 1997. It comprises three compact discs containing the three studio albums made for the label by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, released during 1956 through 1958.
Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Vol. 1 is a 2003 compilation album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. The album contains all the singles Fitzgerald recorded for Verve Records label between 1956 and 1965.
Pick Yourself Up with Anita O'Day is an album by Anita O'Day that was released in 1957. O'Day sings with the Buddy Bregman orchestra and with Harry "Sweets" Edison.
Alvin Stoller was an American jazz drummer. Though he seems to have been largely forgotten, he was held in high regard in the 1940s and 1950s. He was best known for playing drums on both Mitch Miller's recording of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and Stan Freberg's parody of Miller's recording.
Joe Mondragon was an American jazz bassist.
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.
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."
Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You is an album by trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison which was recorded in 1957 and released on the Verve label.
Vicky Lane (born Grace Patricia Rose Coghlan was an Irish-American film actress who also worked as a singer.
