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I just purchased a bulk lot of old jazz and r&b records and didn’t think twice when I saw that Ella Fitzgerald was one of the artists in the lot. The cover of the Reprise album “Ella” was very unassuming. I did assume it was just a compilation of songs from previous recordings. Until I read the label. OMG is all I could say. I put it on and I was floored. I was like why hasn’t someone written about this album before.
The first lady of song as she was known until her death in 1996 was cross over before crossover was a term. She was Jazz and she was Rock and Roll. The album “Ella” proved this. It came out in 1969 shortly after she left Verve and Capital to pursue other ventures. This certainly was a venture into her evolution.
In the 1960’s music was really beginning to change. Styles that had been previously been only minorly electric, became more and more so. Robert Moog and his synthesizer were becoming the rage. Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Cream, and Janis Joplin were beginning to take over. So for many at the time it was either sing and sink or work as if you were in Rome. Ella did just this she evolved one step higher.
It was like she felt that if the other kids could do it so could she. She wasn’t very old in the 1960’s she was in her 40’s. By today’s standards a career is over when you hit 40 because you’re no longer marketable to the younger crowd. This wasn’t the case then. Everyone sang everyone else’s songs and collaboration wasn’t a game that was played for the dollar at the end of the week. Music was made because it was an art. They appreciated what they were doing.
On a side note it’s sad that by today’s standards we don’t have a system of radio that we don’t have to pay for that plays new songs from everyone. Instead we have to pay for the variety by way of XM radio and Sirius. What we listen to now on the radio seems to be dictated by an executive, that is getting paid to play that song. If that weren’t the case we’d have more variety on the FM dial and life in stereo wouldn’t be a commercial for the cutest young male or female for the last 15 min.
So back to Ella…this is a prime example of evolution. To grow mid career from lounge act to Rock and Roll Crooner almost over night is a feat unto itself. She was trained to sing and she shows it here. The album I got this song from has been rereleased on Rhino records so I am only going to include one song from this album. If you’d like to hear more please buy the album and check it out. It’s Ella does the top 40 song book of the late 1960’s.
Here is Ella Fitzgerald, the first lady of song, from her 1969 Reprise Album “Ella” singing “Get ready”. She covered the Motown hit like no other. I’m sure you’ll agree…she was and still is a talent with no match. In heaven I’m sure the angels are singing with her while Gabriel leads the band. I’m glad she lived and I hope you are too. “Get Ready…” cause here she comes…
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To: Aaron Paul
Great writing in re:. of Ella Fitzgerald. Your taste for great music is awesome. Keep up the good work, you inspire the younger generation to grab ahold and learn to appreciate.
Marcia