Ella in great condition!

This brand-new, very expensive but wonderful CD shows Ella singing great songs. The first parts of these concerts are the same, but when you listen carefully you discover Ella didn't sing exactly the same two times. Not only melodically, but also lyrically; as an example she sings in the (is rocking the right word?) Peggy Lee song `I Love Being Here With You' the first time `I love Basie swinging' twice, while she should be singing `I love Peggy singing'. But of course it's more important to enjoy Ella's singing. And you surely will. Ella uses her voice for angelic purely versions of `Summertime', `Somewhere In The Night', and `Someone to watch over me' (A beautiful Gershwin song she did first wonderfully in 1950 with pianist Ellis Larkins, who unfortunately passed away at the end of 2002), and for making growls like in Perdido and Them There Eyes. If you listen to her earlier 1960s recordings, you'll notice she started growling (I hope it's the right word in English) in this year. In her 1963 recordings she sings very softly, and on the album `Hello, Dolly!' she doesn't growl or scat at all, but in Juan-les-Pins and in Hamburg, and a year later in Stockholm, she really shouts. Maybe it was the spirit of the those days... You can see that after her 1964 success "Can't Buy Me Love" (of which the Beatles their selves thought it was an honour to have their songs sung by Ella Fitzgerald) she started another way of singing.
A nice and very cheerful song is `Cutie Pants', written by Ella's former husband Ray Brown (who also passed away at the close of 2002). Then Ella starts improvising in the Saint Louis Blues, which was originally the most boring blues you can think of before you heard Ella sing it. Then Ella scats through Perdido, which is fantastic to listen to (she sings `Roy has a face that would frighten you whaa whaa whaa', perhaps that's why Eldridge didn't enjoy working with Ella too much) but I think her scat on `Ella at the Opera House' is superior.
The second concert is mostly the same, but then the real surprises come up, like `Shiny Stockings' in which she refers to her 1963 album with Basie.
Then the crickets come up... and make Ella mix up a beautiful version of `Somewhere in the night'. She even dedicates a whole new song to those crickets, the `Cricket Song', which is funny. Then the last encore is a beautiful slow version of How high the moon, better than the one she recorded with the Frank DeVol Orchestra for the album `Hello Dolly'.
Indeed, the sound quality isn't the best. But considering it was recorded for a television show I think it's better we have recordings instead of no recordings at all. The applause is very loud and the last songs of the second concert are very bad compared to the first songs on the CD.

In my opinion this was the last concert recording on which Ella was in top form. Ella in Hamburg was NOT boring (in my opinion) but just a bit weird (on And The Angels Sing Flanagan beats too hard on the piano, and Ella's voice isn't too beautiful on the Ellington Medley, maybe it was ruined by the yelling on A Hard Day's Night).
After this, Ella's voice quality slowed down a bit, and she had to find a new style. Her first and good jazz concerts came in 1971. Then she was recording on Pablo, and she had found a new style.
After listening to these CD's you want more. perhaps they will issue Ella's 1963 Ella in Nippon concerts if there are enough requests for. One never knows.
One more thing: on `Honeysuckle Rose' Ella promises the public to do Lady be Good next day... I'm sorry, but she forgot.

Ella Live!

It's Ella. She's singing.It doesn't get any better than that.Not one dud on this CD.The sound might be a little raggedy,but Ella shines through above it as usual. A must for any Ella collector.

Pure Ella!

This Cd was a little steep in price at just around $ 38.00 BUT worth every penny, They wouldnt be charging that amount of money if this CD wasnt the great cd it is.
They know your gonna buy it. I did and I love it.
To me Ella Fitzgerald is great. Shes the SINATRA of all female singers.
Ella reminds me of an instrument cuz her voice is one.
This CD LIVE AT Juan-Les Pins is worth the price of admission
I mean you get 2 concerts from the same venue with extras throw in, Ella Fans this is a must!