We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song

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We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song
Weallloveella.jpg
Studio album by
Various
ReleasedJune 6, 2007
Recorded2006–2007 (exc. track 14)
Genre Jazz, big band
Length36:31
Label Verve
Producer Phil Ramone (exc. track 9)

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.

Contents

Ramone described the album as "a celebration, a hug, and a kiss" to Fitzgerald and that the album was intended to pass her music to a new generation. [1]

The album's release coincided with a concert at the Galen Center of the University of Southern California featuring several of the musicians on the album. It was broadcast on PBS as part of their Great Performances series. [2] The concert was co-hosted by Natalie Cole and Quincy Jones and featured Ruben Studdard and Dave Koz, James Moody, Take 6 and Patti Austin, Wynonna Judd, and Nancy Wilson. [2]

Reception

Christina Pazzanese felt the album was "hit-and-miss" in her review for The Boston Globe . [3] Pazzanese described Natalie Cole as the best at capturing Fitzgerald's "sunny buoyancy" and praises k.d. lang's "smokey lusciousness" on "Angel Eyes". She was particularly critical of Gladys Knight, Dianne Reeves and Diana Krall, describing them as "a major letdown", "tepid, overly polite" and "plodding" respectively. [3] In The Philadelphia Daily News , Jonathan Takiff wrote that the album left him feeling "oddly underwhelmed" with only Etta James and Michael Bublé offering the "Mona Lisa-like moodiness of Fitzgerald's magical delivery". Takiff criticized producer Phil Ramone's "creamy smooth production [which] buffed away all the edges". [4] The album received a 4 star review in The Evening Standard , which wrote that the album was "remarkably all-star" and it was a "jazz fact that you have to expire if you want to be marketed properly". [5]

Rashod Ollison in The Baltimore Sun and Jeff Simon In The Buffalo News both highlighted Ledisi's "Blues in the Night" and Nikki Yanofsky's scat singing on "Airmail Special". [6] [1] Simon praised Yanofsky's "phenomenal channelling" of Fitzgerald and Ollison felt her performance was "mouth-dropping". [6] [1] Simon also wrote the album had "some surprises, even shocks". [6]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Vocal artist(s) and instrumentalistsLength
1."A-Tisket, A-Tasket" Van Alexander, Ella Fitzgerald Natalie Cole with Terry Trotter, piano 
2."Lullaby of Birdland" George Shearing, George David Weiss Chaka Khan with Tony Kadleck, trumpet 
3."The Lady Is a Tramp" Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart Queen Latifah  
4."Dream a Little Dream of Me" Fabian Andre, Gus Kahn, Wilbur Schwandt Diana Krall with Hank Jones, both on piano 
5."(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" Sam Coslow Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan  
6."Oh, Lady Be Good!" George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin Dianne Reeves  
7."Reaching for the Moon" Irving Berlin Lizz Wright with Regina Carter, violin, and Russell Malone, guitar 
8."Blues in the Night" Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer Ledisi  
9."Miss Otis Regrets" Cole Porter Linda Ronstadt  
10."Someone to Watch over Me"G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin Gladys Knight  
11."Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me" Duke Ellington, Bob Russell Etta James  
12."Angel Eyes" Earl Brent, Matt Dennis k.d. lang with Tom Scott, tenor saxophone 
13."Too Close for Comfort" Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, Larry Holofcener Michael Bublé  
14."You Are the Sunshine of My Life" Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder and Ella Fitzgerald (recorded live in New Orleans, 1977) 
15."Airmail Special" Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Mundy Nikki Yanofsky  

Production and arrangement credits

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Tribute Album a Bow to Ella Fitzgerald". The Baltimore Sun . 7 June 2007. p. 35. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 19 May 2007. p. 69. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  3. 1 2 "A whirl through the old and the new". The Boston Globe . 3 June 2007. p. 153. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "What New from Paul, The Boss, Cowboy Troy". The Philadelphia Daily News . 5 June 2007. p. 40. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  5. ↑ "CDs Of The Week". The Evening Standard . 22 June 2007. p. 35. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Spotlight Music: The Listening Post". The Buffalo News . 8 July 2007. p. 71. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  7. ↑ For full credits see We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song at Discogs
  8. ↑ Cf. We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song at Discogs
  9. ↑ For details see there.
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