Outstanding

In spite of sometimes intrusive orchestration, Ella provides virtually the best interpretation ever of every song on the album. Even her rendition of "I've Got You Under My Skin" rivals Sinatra's in terms of her ability to ride the rhythms. At 60, her voice has a richness to it that it lacked on the Cole Porter Songbook done on Verve. Note especially the not so well know title song and "After You". These lesser sung songs are gems in Ella's remarkable grasp.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

If you read ELLA's biography written by STUART NICHOLSON,you know that NELSON RIDDLE was the first choice of NORMAN GRANZ to arrange material for the songbooks.But in 1956,RIDDLE was a very busy man,working with SINATRA,PEGGY LEE and DEAN MARTIN on lps that are now considered classics.ELLA's first time at bat with NELSON was the mamooth GERSHWIN songbook of 1959.After that, they worked many times together.This 1972 album with several tracks recorded in 1978 is certainly of interest to any FITZGERALD fan,even if SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR,AFTER YOU and WITHOUT LOVE are not among PORTER's greatest songs.I CONCENTRATE ON YOU is in bossa-nova,and if you ever heard DOWN IN THE DEPTH in it's original rendition,you'll rave over this one.It may not surpass the 1956 recordings that kicked off the songbook series,but it's a nice compagnon.