Search - Various Artists :: We All Love Ella: Celebrating First Lady Song

A fitting tribute to a true Lady of Song.

sellnotsell | new york | 06/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Wikipendia: "Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 - June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century.



With a vocal range spanning three octaves, she was noted for her purity of tone, near faultless phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. She is widely considered to have been one of the supreme interpreters of the Great American Songbook...."

This is a heartfelt, loving tribute to the great singer for which Verve Records has gathered a top-notch group of genre-spanning artists and a legendary producer to create an album that genuinely pays tribute to its original subject.

"We All Love Ella" is produced by hit maker Phil Ramone and filled with passionate performances of classics made famous by Ella and sung by world-renowned singers and break-out stars Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, Ledisi, Dianne Reeves, Linda Ronstadt and Lizz Wright.

Most of them are part of the so-called SERIAL COLLABORATORS, a new generation of musicians, who have all but abandoned their own musical endeavours in favour of hitching a ride in this kind of music projects, call them DUET or TRIBUTE albums.

Whether it's Diana Krall's tender "Dream A Little Dream", Natalie Cole's swingin' "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", k.d. lang's sultry "Angel Eyes" or the extraordinarily sassy and powerful "Blues in the Night" by newcomer Ledesi, the performances on "We All Love Ella" keenly display Fitzgerald's expansive musical range and show how her style influenced generations of musicians from all backgrounds

The woman herself, Ella, appears on the album.

In 1977, Stevie Wonder sat in with Ella during her performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. This impromptu collaboration yielded a charming duet on Stevie's classic "You are the Sunshine of my Life". This recording is released for the first time over on this tribute album!

Many are the guest musicians :Gerald Clayton (Piano), Billy Childs Trio (piano, arranger), Regina Carter (violin), Alan Broadbent(Piano), Christian McBride (bass), Dean Parks (Guitar), Tom Scott (Saxophone), Anthony Wilson (Guitar), just to name a few.

Genius Loves Company

A Tribute To Joni Mitchell

Duets: An American Classic

So Amazing...An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross

DuetsDuets II

To Grover, With Love

All in one world, a great homage to the Great Lady of Song.

Enjoy"

Fine tribute to the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 10/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We All Love Ella is a touching tribute to The First Lady Of Song. This album gives us a terrific fifteen classic Ella Fitzgerald ballads covered by some of the best artists currently in the business. Just one listen proves it!



The CD track set starts with a bouncy rendition of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" by Natalie Cole. The bass works well and so do those horns and percussion! Natalie swings brightly on "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." Chaka Chan truly does prove her wide vocal range with a pretty awesome rendition of "Lullaby Of Birdland." The key changes between major and minor work well for "Lullaby Of Birdland." Chaka sings this passionately with all her heart and soul; her excellent diction bolsters her performance. Moreover, Queen Latifah turns in a rousing interpretation of "The Lady Is A Tramp." Queen Latifah never sounded better; and the arrangement for piano, horns, drums and percussion really shines!



"Dream A Little Dream Of Me" features Diana Krall and Hank Jones; although some may think that this interpretation runs a little too long I personally like it very much. Diana Krall and Hank Jones perform a marvelous version of "Dream A Little Dream Of Me." Listen also for a flawless performance of "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (a.k.a. Mr. Paganini)" by Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan.



Ledisi performs "Blues In The Night" with panache; and the big band style arrangement impresses me with its percussion and horns. Ella would be smiling! "Miss Otis Regrets" gets the royal treatment from Linda Ronstadt who sings this with excellent diction, sensitivity and style.



We get an excellent duet between Ella Fitzgerald herself and the great Stevie Wonder recorded live in concert; their electric chemistry is unmistakable. Together Ella and Stevie Wonder perform "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life." The crowd loves every minute of this duet; and Ella and Stevie never miss a beat! I predict that you will enjoy "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" very, very much.



The liner notes feature some pretty fine artwork; and we get a couple of excellent black and white photos of Ella as well. Excellent!



Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady Of Song, will never be forgotten; and this CD is a wonderful tribute to her and her legacy. We are all remarkably better off for Ella sharing her artistry with us; and I assure you that her CDs will be available for ages to come.



Great job, everyone--and thank you, Ella!

"

"You Are The Sunshine Of My Life . . . Forever You'll Stay I

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 09/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

""It's been a privilege to be a part of this tribute to Ella. These artists have continued the legacy and lessons that she gave to us all. There's something magical about doing the work of Ella Fitzgerald." ~ Phil Ramone ~



What better way to commemorate the First Lady of Song's 90th birth anniversary this year than listening to this newly-released tribute CD, "We All Love Ella" consisting of 15 of the most significant songs identified with Ella Fitzgerald. The whole CD is just tremendous with a repertoire of timeless standards as interpreted by some of the best contemporary singers in jazz and R&B who injected a whole lot of new flavors to these enduring songs by the Gershwin Brothers, Rodgers & Hart, George Shearing, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Bob Russell and Benny Goodman, among many others. Most of the songs were arranged and conducted by a fine orchestrator Rob Mounsey, and some are from the creative charts of Billy Childs, Alan Broadbent and John Clayton.



For the opener, Natalie Cole sings an original composition by Ella which she co-wrote with Al Feldman, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" followed by Chaka Khan's take on "Lullaby of Birdland" done with a new twist. Cole and Khan team up as they present with pride and dedication one of the best tracks in this collection, "If You Can't Sing It, You'll Have To Swing It - aka Mr. Paganini."



Diana Krall with her distinctively sultry voice, presents an all-time favorite of mine "Dream A Little Dream Of Me." Michael Bublé's "Too Close For Comfort" is a show-stopper and as always he never fails to disappoint his fans with his flawless rendition of this song with a fresh and an absolutely beautiful arrangement by Billy Childs. It's one of my top favorites here.



One of my highlights is a performance with Stevie Wonder recorded in 1977 in New Orleans. Stevie tells Ella ... "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and they exchanged compliments to each other before performing this duet.



Queen Latifah somewhat stole the show with her impressive delivery of "The Lady Is A Tramp," one of the best versions of this oftenly-recorded song. Billy Childs once again showed off his superb chart arrangement on this track. Bravo to both of you!



Gladys Knight, Dianne Reeves, Linda Ronstadt, k.d. lang and Etta James have always impressed me with their musicalities and their vocal styles. Their respective versions of "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Oh, Lady Be Good," "Miss Otis Regrets," "Angel Eyes" and "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" are some of the best female versions ever recorded.



Lizz Wright, whom I first appreciated when she recorded "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" with one of my favorite saxophonists, David Sanborn, on a CD entitled Closer, shines anew with her charming take on "Reaching For The Moon." "Blues In The Night" was given a new treatment by Ledesi, whom I hadn't heard until now but she gives credence and justice to this song that would have made Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen beam with pride.



Nikki Yanofsky sings the bonus track and the final song in the repertoire, "Airmail Special."



In sum, this is one of the greatest tributes to the artistry and legacy of the one-and-only First Lady of Song. I wholeheartedly recommend this not only for her fans but also to the fans of all the artists involved in this wonderful tribute. It's worth it since a portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation, which provides grants in the areas of music education and appreciation, academic enrichment, and work with disadvantaged children. Not only you'll enjoy this CD but you'll be helping the Foundation as well.



Truly, we all love Ella!

"