Elegant and lovely Ã` but not as good as her jazz album.

Ella Fitzgerald had it all as a singer Ñ gorgeous tone, perfect diction, great phrasing, a striking sense of rhythm and, best of all, a sense of play and humor that made her joy to listen to every time. Her jazz Christmas album, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, has been one of my favorites for years, so I immediately grabbed this one, made up of religious Christmas music, when I saw it in the store last year.

To be honest, I was a little disappointed. ItÕs not a bad album. Her voice is, as always, lovely. But because of the nature of the material, the things that made Fitzgerald such a joy to hear are missing. How much can you play with O Holy Night? How much heart and soul can even a singer as fine as Fitzgerald find in God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen? The songs, obviously, are timelessly beautiful, and Fitzgerald sings them in elegant and lovely style. But, ironically, youÕll find more of the joyous spirit of Christmas in the secular and jazzy Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas than here.

Excellent!

Ella had perhaps the most beautiful voice of the 20th century, and she brings a wonderful glow to these traditional carols. You can feel the warmth that she radiates... perfect for the Christmas season, or ANY rainy day. I give it only four stars because it's too short! But the music itself gets five. :D

Proof that Ella was indeed a heavenly singer . . .

This collection of Christmas carols and hymns may not be the most exciting or jazzy Christmas collection, but the genre is well-suited for Ella's beautiful, simple, and well-articulated vocals. Some of the background arrangements may a bit dated, such as "We Three Kings," but since this album is full of "traditional" songs one can look at it as an evocation of nostalgia. (Then it's fun to listen to with a cup of hot cider and a warm sweater.) I would definitely recommend this to Ella fans, especially ones who may not mind when she isn't a purely jazz singer. In any case, the compilation makes for a good variety in a Christmas CD collection.
The CD ends all too soon: the total running time clocks in at just under 30 minutes. I recommend purchasing Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas, too. You'll definitely want more Ella to keep you in that holiday spirit after hearing her lovely voice singing some of your favorite Christmas songs.