Too Much Too Bland

It's too bad that about 12 of the songs were on this set. Ella & Nelson can't make those 12 listenable. I feel that this is far too costly for its mediocrity. It does have great stuff on it but not enough! Her Oh Lady Be Good is well worth it because of containing only great Gershwin. I do love My Cousin In Milwaukee which describes Ella's singing style. OK, MILWAUKEE IS MY HOME TOWN. Rather, than this, Ella's Rodgers & Hart Songbook deserves to have been a massive box set: 51 songs plus the instrumental Slaughter on 10th Ave.

Remote and controlled

After all the fun, humour, sex and emotion of the Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington songbooks I couldn't wait to hear this. I'm disappointed. I love Ella above all other performers, but in this set she seems very subdued and so little of her sense of fun or mischief is in evidence that I find it hard to believe that she enjoyed making these recordings. The heavy reverb with which her voice is recorded also increases the sense of remoteness.
The reponsibility lies with Nelson Riddle who plays just about everything too darned slow! A song that epitomises this is "They Can't Take That Away From Me", which is a fun swing, romantic song that could have been written for Ella, but here performed at flat-lining pace in the search for a heart rending ballad perhaps?
All you who love this album, please forgive me, but I'd love to know what you make of the other songbooks, do you find them wild and unrestrained?
I nevertheless give it 3 stars, because some of the songs are really worth remembering and it is still Ella after all.

Bliss

I'm going to make this short. If I was stranded on an island for the rest of my days and could only have one album to listen to,this would be it. This record will make you laugh and cry. It is sheer poetry and a testament to not only the greatness of Ella, but the wonderful genius of George Gershwin. Nelson Riddle's arrangements are perfect. Okay...that's it, now buy this record!