ELLA FITZGERALD with the London
Symphony Orchestra
Someone
To Watch Over Me
Review by
Steve Koenig
Punchline:
It’s good, very good.
Q: When is a new Ella Fitzgerald record not a new Ella
Fitzgerald record?
A: When it’s Someone To Watch Over Me.
I was excited when I first read there was a disc of
previously unreleased Ella in the pipeline, then
dismayed when I received the download only to discover
that Verve has taken classic Ella mono Decca and Verve
tracks from 1950-61 and overdubbed new orchestral
arrangements played by the London Symphony
Orchestra. Four of the arrangements are by the
producers, James Morgan and Juliette Pochin, eight
others by Jorge Calandrelli. They are lilting and
charming. There’s nothing to make you think that
Ella’s work has been cannibalized merely for
profit. The reason this works so well is the
chosen tracks have minimal instrumentation to begin
with, and these, and Ella’s vocals weren’t messed
with.
The albums opens with “People Will Say We’re In Love,”
turned into a fine duet of Ella with an overdubbed
Gregory Porter, their voices blending easily and
well. The fourth track, “I Get A Kick Out Of You,”
had her duet with a singer sounding surprisingly like
Louis Armstrong. That’s because it was, indeed,
Louis Armstrong. Armstrong also features in “Let’s
Call The Whole Thing Off.” The rest of the tracks
are just Ella alone with strings brass, and winds (and
the original piano, bass, guitar, et cetera).
The upshot: I truly expected to my my sweet Ella
mangled, but instead we have a dozen classic Ella Songs,
sung impeccably, arranged interestingly but
unobtrusively, sequenced for flow. The 44-minute
album is over before you know it, and ready for the
replay button.
Lagniappe: Also released by the time you read
this, will be Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong /
Cheek to Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings.
Additionally Verve will issue Ella At Zardi's, a
previously unreleased live album. These are all to
celebrate Elle Fitzgerald’s centenary. I wonder
what else from the vaults is ready to burst on the
scene.
ellafitzgerald.com,
universalmusic.com/label/verve-label-group/
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