Brighten the Corner

Last updated
Brighten the Corner
Ella-Fitzgerald-Brighten The Corner.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 1967
RecordedJuly 17–18, 1967
Genre Christian music, Popular music
Length27:27
Label Capitol
Producer Dave Dexter, Jr.
Ella Fitzgerald chronology
Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur
(1966)
Brighten the Corner
(1967)
Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas
(1967)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Brighten the Corner is a 1967 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, debut album on Capitol Records. [3] The album charted at #172 in the Billboard Hot 200 album charts. [4]

Contents

The album was reissued by Capitol Records on CD in 1991 and together, on one CD, with the album "Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas" in 2006.

The album was Ella's first since leaving the Verve label, which had seen her produce her most acclaimed body of work. It marked a sharp change of direction for Fitzgerald, as Brighten the Corner saw Ella sing Christian hymns, reflecting her own spirituality, and eschewing the Great American Songbook standards on which she had previously concentrated.

Track listing

For the 1967 LP on Capitol Records; Capitol ST 2684; ; Re-issued in 1991 on CD, Capitol CDP 7 95151-2

Side One:

  1. "Abide with Me" (Henry Francis Lyte, Arrangers; G. Price, R. Black) - 3.24
  2. "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" (Traditional, Arrangers; G. Price, R. Black) - 5.00
  3. "The Old Rugged Cross" (George Bennard) - 3.50
  4. "Brighten the Corner Where You Are" (Ina D. Ogdon, Charles H. Gabriel ) - 2.33
  5. "I Need Thee Every Hour" (Annie S. Hawks, Robert Lowry) - 3.38
  6. "In the Garden" (C. Austin Miles) - 3.14
  7. "God Be with You Till We Meet Again" (Jeremiah E. Rankin, William G. Tomer) - 1.19

Side Two:

  1. "God Will Take Care of You" (Civilla D. Martin, W. Stillman Martin) - 3.29
  2. "The Church in the Wildwood" (William S. Pitts) - 3.00
  3. "Throw Out the Lifeline" (Edwin Ufford) - 3.12
  4. "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Traditional, Arrangers; G. Price, R. Black) - 2.40
  5. "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning" (Philip P. Bliss) - 2.46
  6. "What a Friend We Have In Jesus" (Joseph M. Scriven, Charles Crozat Converse) - 4.02
  7. "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me" (Augustus Toplady, Thomas Hastings) - 1.58

Personnel

Related Research Articles

Gordon Hill Jenkins was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Harry Nilsson, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald.

<i>Brighten the Corners</i> 1997 studio album by Pavement

Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released in 1997. All songs were written by lead singer Stephen Malkmus, apart from Scott Kannberg's "Date with Ikea" and "Passat Dream". After their last release, Wowee Zowee, Pavement’s drummer, Bob Nastanovich, said of this album, “We were going to go into people’s rooms and brighten their corners with music.”

"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé.

<i>Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson</i> 1962 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson is a 1962 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by an orchestra arranged by Nelson Riddle.

<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 trio led by Lou Levy, recorded in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

<i>Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert</i> 1988 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert is a live album by Ella Fitzgerald, with a jazz trio led by Lou Levy, and also featuring the Oscar Peterson trio. Recorded in 1958, it was released thirty years later.

<i>The Best Is Yet to Come</i> (Ella Fitzgerald album) 1982 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

The Best Is Yet to Come is a 1982 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a studio orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle.

<i>Ella in London</i> 1974 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella in London is a 1974 live album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a quartet led by the pianist Tommy Flanagan.

<i>Misty Blue</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Misty Blue is a 1968 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, featuring mostly renditions of recent country music hits. The single "I Taught Him Everything He Knows" appeared on Billboard's "Easy Listening" survey.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book</i> 1956 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book is a 1956 studio album by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, focusing on the songs of Cole Porter.

<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. Fifty-nine songs were recorded in the span of eight months in 1959.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book</i> 1958 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book is a 1958 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Paul Weston, focusing on the songs of Irving Berlin. It was part of the popular and influential Songbook series.

<i>Ella</i> (Ella Fitzgerald album) 1969 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella is a 1969 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and the first of two albums she recorded for the Warner Bros. owned Reprise label. This album continues the theme set on Fitzgerald's previous album, consisting in the main part of cover versions of popular songs from the late 1960s. The production of this recording was in the hands of Richard Perry, who had joined the Reprise label in 1967. Perry later went on the produce albums by Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. The album was re-issued on CD with alternative artwork, in 1989. Released together on one CD with Ella's final album recorded for Reprise label, Things Ain't What They Used to Be .

<i>Things Aint What They Used to Be (And You Better Believe It)</i> 1970 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Things Ain't What They Used to Be is a 1970 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald - the final album that Fitzgerald recorded on the Reprise Records label. The album was re-issued on CD with alternative artwork in 1989. It was released together on one CD with Ella's first album recorded for Reprise label, Ella.

<i>Ella and Louis</i> 1956 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

Ella and Louis is a studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Quartet, released in October 1956. Having previously collaborated in the late 1940s for the Decca label, this was the first of three albums that Fitzgerald and Armstrong were to record together for Verve Records, later followed by 1957's Ella and Louis Again and 1959's Porgy and Bess.

<i>Ella Fitzgeralds Christmas</i> 1967 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas is a 1967 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald. This was her second and last Christmas album. Unlike her previous Christmas album, this album consisted of only religious Christmas songs. It was her second album for Capitol Records, the album charted at #27 on Billboard's Holiday Albums chart.

<i>30 by Ella</i> 1968 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

30 by Ella is a 1968 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.

"I'm Beginning to See the Light" is a popular song and jazz standard, written by Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James, and published in 1944. Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots featuring Bill Kenny recorded a version in 1945, that was on the pop song hits list for six weeks in 1945, reaching #5. A competing 1945 recording by Harry James and his Orchestra, with lead vocal by Kitty Kallen reached No. 1 for two weeks in January of that year. James' version of the song reached No. 7 on Billboard's Second Annual High School Survey in 1945. Duke Ellington also released in 1945 a version, vocal by Joya Sherrill, which reached the top ten.

The Nearness of You original song written and composed by Hoagy Carmichael (music) and Ned Washington (words)

"The Nearness of You" is a popular song written in 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Ned Washington. The song debuted in a 1940 recording by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle.

<i>Love Is the Thing</i> 1957 studio album by Nat King Cole

Love Is the Thing is a 1957 album released by American jazz vocalist Nat King Cole. It is the first of four collaborations between Cole and influential arranger Gordon Jenkins. Launching the charting single "Stardust", which peaked at #79, the album reached #1 on Billboard's "Pop Albums" chart and tied at #1 on the UK Charts with the soundtrack for the 1956 film The King and I. According to the records of the RIAA, the album achieved gold status in 1960 and broke platinum in 1992. The LP was Nat's first gold album.

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 77. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
  3. Ella Fitzgerald Brighten the Corner at AllMusic
  4. Billboard album charts Brighten the Corner at AllMusic