Search - Ella Fitzgerald :: Take Love Easy

Very Dark Blend

Burçak Savaþkurt | Istanbul,Turkey | 06/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the debut of Ella and Joe Pass albums.Recorded with some deep melancholy and emotion on August 28,1973.I recommend you whole album but esp. "you go to my head" is something special and makes you feel like that it never ends."Lush Life" and Jobim's "Once I Loved" are album's highlights and probably will make you cry as the rest of the album would do.Listen to this and realize how a jazz singer becomes A legend with lotta proofs and how a jazz guitar is played that perfect by a god,Joe Pass.
Very dark very sensitive.This is the event!"

Ella and Joe: intimate, sensitive and engaging while they re

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass swing easy on this great album entitled "Take Love Easy." Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady Of Song," never failed to disappoint her adoring audiences. Joe Pass, her accompanist on guitar for this album, will always be one of the best guitarists we will ever see. This album, just like all the rest of their work, is sure to please you!



"Take Love Easy" features Ella swinging easy and really smoothly as she sings of how it could be important to sometimes hide your most vulnerable feelings when you are in love. Joe Pass's guitar playing complements Ella's vocals to perfection; and Ella's excellent diction enhances the beauty of "Take Love Easy." A strong start!



"Once I Loved" is a wistful, romantic tune that Ella sings as her character reignites a love that had once gone awry. The simplicity of Joe's arrangement makes his artistry all the more beautiful; and Ella sings this with remarkable sensitivity.



"Don't Be That Way" has Ella singing her heart out with a soulful, somewhat pensive tone as she reflects upon a love that is in trouble; her character also implores a man not to leave her in the second half of the song. Ella starts to sing this in a lower range before she starts singing at a higher range; and this works well for "Don't Be That Way." Joe Pass's guitar is soft in the background which allows Ella's voice to be completely in the spotlight. You will like this number.



"Lush Life," a song Nat "King" Cole often sang, gets a jazzy twist from Ella's vocals. Ella performs vocal gymnastics as she switches tempos frequently throughout this ballad. Ella's interpretation truly makes "Lush Life" her own. Joe's beautiful guitar playing in the background supports Ella. Ella injects this ballad with a certain level of panache that I rarely hear--incredible! In the hands of Ella and Joe, "Lush Life" really sparkles.



"A Foggy Day" gets the royal treatment from Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass; they take this romantic ballad to new heights with their interpretation of "A Foggy Day." Ella and Joe slow down the tempo considerably to create a pensive and somewhat mournful tone. Joe Pass plays a guitar solo in the middle of this number that adds a very special extra touch of class to "A Foggy Day," too.



"You Go To My Head" swings slowly and softly to create an especially romantic flavor for this classic ballad. Ella and Joe don't miss a note and the overall effect is a smashing interpretation of "You Go To My Head." Ella plays with the tempo of her vocals yet again--man, how this lady could do vocal gymnastics unlike any other chanteuse!



All good things must come to an end; and the CD track set ends fittingly with the romantic and charming "I Want To Talk About You." Ella tells her man that if he truly loves her then she will give her heart to him completely. I simply can't quite find the right words to express to you the beauty of "I Want To Talk About You;" I can only encourage you to experience this gorgeous ballad for yourself.



The cover artwork gives us a lovely black and white photo of Ella smiling; this reflects good artistic judgment.



Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass have given us an album of remarkably beautiful romantic ballads that just cannot be ignored. Ella and Joe will always be fondly remembered as consummate professionals who gave their all and make an indelible mark upon the entertainment world and the artistic community at once. We are all better off for their sharing their talents with us. I recommend this CD for fans of Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals with a twist of jazz will always enjoy this CD.

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