The 15th installment in the complete studio recordings of Ella Fitzgerald as reissued in the Classics Chronological Series contains 22 titles cut between March 30, 1954, and August 5, 1955, marking the tail end of her contractual obligations as a Decca recording artist. Ella's involvement with Decca extended a full 20 years back to her initial recording session with the Chick Webb Orchestra in June 1935; by January of 1956 she would be working with Norman Granz (who had already been recording her in live performance with his Jazz at the Philharmonic package), inaugurating one of the great longstanding singer/producer collaborations in the entire history of recorded jazz. Drawing upon material originally made available on the LPs Sweet and Hot, Songs in a Mellow Mood, The First Lady of Song, Lullabies of Birdland and Songs from "Pete Kelly's Blues" (a motion picture in which Ella appeared cast as a jazz singer), this patchwork compilation opens with three songs that close out one of the delightful sessions that she shared with pianist Ellis Larkins during the spring of 1954. The next two titles come from a date that was typical of Decca's approach to artists and repertoire, for here Ella and a sextet including tenor saxophonist Sam Taylor, pianist Hank Jones, and organist Bill Doggett were pitted against a standard issue '50s pop vocal choir. Other ensembles heard on this disc were conducted or supervised by Benny Carter, Sy Oliver, André Previn, Dick Hyman, and Toots Camarata. Altogether, it's a fine portrait of Ella Fitzgerald in one of her primes, and an effective appetizer for the next chapter in her musical biography. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :
9.7.23
ELLA FITZGERALD – 1954-1955 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1457 (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
6.7.23
HAZEL SCOTT – 1939-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1308 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
A brilliant pianist who also had a warm singing voice, Hazel Scott gained some recognition in the early '40s for her swinging versions of classical themes. This valuable CD has all of her early recordings through May 1945, most of which have been rarely reissued. Scott is first heard on four songs with a pickup group organized by Leonard Feather called the Sextet of the Rhythm Club of London. While that unit features clarinetist Danny Polo and altoist Pete Brown, the next 16 selections (four of which are V-discs) put the spotlight entirely on Scott, who is backed by either J.C. Heard or Sid Catlett on drums. She shows off both her technique and her creativity on six classical works, swing standards, and a couple basic blues originals, singing on "People Will Say We're in Love" and "C Jam Blues." The final four numbers are quite a bit different as Scott is showcased as a fairly straight and sophisticated singer with orchestras conducted by Toots Camarata. Overall, this CD is highly recommended, reminding today's listeners how talented a pianist Scott was in her early days. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :
19.4.20
BILLIE HOLIDAY – 1944 (1995) The Classics Chronological Series – 806 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
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ANDREW CYRILLE | WADADA LEO SMITH | BILL FRISELL — Lebroba (2018) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Lebroba, Andrew Cyrille's second leader date for ECM, finds the septuagenarian rhythm explorer trading in all but guitarist Bill Frisell...
