1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #19. Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959)

Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959)

Track Listing

1. Ambulatory Suite
2. Prelude
3. Sam And Delilah
4. But Not For Me
5. My One And Only
6. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
7. I've Got Beginner's Luck
8. Oh Lady Be Good
9. Nice Work If You Can Get It
10. Things Are Looking Up
11. Just Another Rumba
12. How Long Has This Been Going On
13. It's Wonderful
14. Man I Love
15. That Certain Feeling
16. By Strauss
17. Someone To Watch Over Me
18. Real American Folk Song Is A Rag
19. Who Cares
20. Looking For A Boy
21. They All Laughed
22. My Cousin In Milwaukee
23. Somebody From Somewhere
24. Foggy Day
25. Clap Yo' Hands
26. For You For Me For Evermore
27. Stiff Upper Lip
28. Boy Wanted
29. Strike Up The Band
30. Soon
31. I've Got A Crush On You
32. Bidin' My Time
33. Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did
34. Of Thee I Sing
35. Half Of It Dearie Blues
36. I Was Doing All Right
37. He Loves And She Loves
38. Love Is Sweeping The Country
39. Treat Me Rough
40. Love Is Here To Stay
41. Slap That Bass
42. Isn't It A Pity
43. Shall We Dance
44. Love Walked In
45. You've Got What Gets Me
46. They Can't Take That Away From Me
47. Embraceable You
48. I Can't Be Bothered Now
49. Boy What Love Has Done To Me
50. Fascinating Rhythm
51. Funny Face
52. Lorelei
53. Oh So Nice
54. Let's Kiss And Make Up
55. I Got Rhythm
56. Somebody Loves Me
57. Cheerful Little Earful

During the late '50s, Ella Fitzgerald continued her Song Book records with Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, featuring 57 songs written by George and Ira Gershwin. These songs are considered by many to be among Fitzgerald's very best.
Considered by many to be arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time (and she DOES have an incredibly smooth and soulful voice!!). That said….
WOW – what a incredibly LONG listen. Truly this is a case of too much of a good thing. Clocking in at a whopping 3 hours and 15 minutes this was a tough listen to a extreme novice jazz fan. As I only have select times of each day (to and from work) to actually LISTEN to each of these 1001 albums, (which is the point right? TO actually LISTEN to them), it took over a week to play the record.
Again – I loved her voice – and her interpretations are great – but by about track 25-30 I was really ready for this record to be over!! And I was only HALF WAY!!
So indeed – pretty long!
Her vocal deliveries are swinging, infectious, heartfelt and as a overview I would go so far as to say this is actually a great album – just overly long for the casual fan – and hard to really ‘connect’ with the music.
Recommended

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR ROCKTOBER 29:
Denny Laine, formerly with the Moody Blues and Paul McCartney & Wings, is 64; Peter Green, formerly with Fleetwood Mac, is 62;