"Laura" and "Midnight Sun" hits!

The below review was mine from a long time ago, so I added it again under my name.

I haven't heard the rest of the album, but I'm going to give it a four just on the strength of "Laura" and "Midnight Sun." Laura, a fine ballad from the superb film-noir classic, lives up to the film's standard with Ella's timeless vocal, along with a beautiful arrangement. The repeating crescendo, representing the hypnotic tick of the grandfather clock at the film's end, is what first pulls you in. Then, Ella's classic reading of the already descriptive lyric puts image after glorious image in your head. The arrangement, gentle as a breeze, takes on its own life without upstaging her, and as she hold that last note and trails off, you'll want more, you'll want to hear it again, and as I did, you'll almost certainly play it once more.

"Midnight Sun" almost rises to the level of "Laura." The classic tune popularized by swing-era vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, was given a truly classic lyric by Johnny Mercer that should go down in music history, if only for the incredible rhyming job ("Your lips were like a red and ruby CHALICE/Warmer than the summer night/The clouds were like an alabaster PALACE/Rising to a snowy height/Each star its own Aurora BOREALIS/Suddenly you held me tight/And I saw the midnight sun..."). Ella masterfully (as always) guides herself through the words, singing them so well that, once again, you can see what's happening. And, as an added bonus, there's a vibe accompaniment, as a nod to Hamilton. Both of these are among her very finest work and should be near the top of her "Very Best" list.

THE MAN FROM SAVANNAGH

Now people read this, JOHNNY MERCER was probably AMERICA's most prolific songwriter.From 1930 to 1976 JOHNNY wrote more than 1,000 songs.He also sang with his good natured SOUTHERN accent and co-founded CAPITOL records.Still, many people don't know him apart from singers who sang his songs.You might not know it but you certainly have heard many of his songs : THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC,I'M AN OLD COWHAND FROM THE RIO GRANDE,MOONRIVER are only a few of them not present here.ELLA and conductor NELSON RIDDLE have chosen true swinging greats TOO MARVELOUS FOR WORDS,SOMETHING'S GOTTA LIVE but also some songs not often recorded like SINGLE-O and MIDNIGHT SUN.ELLA has recorded other MERCER songs in the HAROLD ARLEN SONGBOOKS

What a difference a songbook makes!

Would Ella held onto her place in Americana if not for her songbooks? I love the majority of them. She may well been relegated to novelty singer because of her Decca material. Starting in 1956 new manager, Norman Granz, had her record on his own Verve label the best & most enduring of America's music. Ella recorded albums that will always be in stores, catalogs, & on line. Mainly, the Songbooks and Nelson Riddle arranged material. Every song here was not defintive but collectively they sparkled! Johnny Mercer wrote so many great lyrics & a few good melodies that had this been a bigger collection, like her massive Gershwin, it could had very well been *****. Other reasons it's only **** are the including of the medicore SINGLE-O & WHEN A WOMAN LOVES A MAN & Ella's flatness on DAY IN-DAY OUT & SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE. Still, Ella had class, diction, good taste when alllowed, & a great swinging flair.