ella like never before

From the first track to the last one, only the best that ella could give from the deepest of herself

How do you describe perfection?

I was going to write a review until I read Chris from London's Spotlight Review. He sums up my sentiments exactly, so it's enough to say that, out of all the hundreds of jazz CD's I have, this has to be coolest. Ella really is unbelievable and without equal. I listened to 'Angel Eyes' (the second track) about 20 times before allowing the player to go on to the third - awestruck and spellbound. There just aren't the words...

The Intimate Ella at her very best

Ella was famous for actually having an incredible range of voice, perfect pitch and relative pitch [extremely rare outside of Opera.] She popularised classy swing and cool Be Bop scat singing in the 50's and early 60's....but if you really know your Ella....you will know that she enjoyed singing ballards the most. You will also know that there is absolutely no one who can match her depth of feeling on these tunes the way she has here.

The Intimate Ella is by far one of, if not, the best of her albums on Verve [her peak years.] Her voice so tender and pure .....so beautiful without being sickly or contrived. She takes a standard ballard and lifts it to a higher place....check out I Cried For You....a fare standard by many [Holliday etc.] Ella brings an emotional honesty and depth to this piece that no one has done since....her inspirational change in key at the end of the song is heart breaking. Ella makes an ok tune sound like aural beauty. Like Ira Gershwin often said about her interpretations of his songs..."I didn't know our songs were good till Ella sang them!"

Her version of Black Coffee makes Peggy Lee's redundant... quite frankly Ella's is the real deal. Her versions of I cant give you anything But Love and especially her version of Misty are the difinitive vocal renditions. Forget the other cheesy vocal versions....Ella's voice with an inspired piano accompanying her is so beautiful it almost hurts....the album is one big smooth vibe!

Her version of Angel Eyes actually leaves Sinatra's sounding cold and somewhat feeling sorry for himself. [till I heard Ella's only Sinatra could do this tune for me!] Ella's feels purer in intention ....and even more desolate but also more honest. While this LP is often downbeat it is never contrived or moaning. At times Ella touches on a Blues sensibility with a pinch of Gospel and Soul.

At the same time this album has a very real and cool feel about it.....this is not just an album to feel sad on your own with. This is an album to chill out late night with friends or for a romantic evening. Without hyperbole it is easily one of the coolest and most impressively enduring Jazz LPs of all time....but it is also an absolute classic pop[ular] album for all.

If you highly rate Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, Dinah Washington, Erykah Badu, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mahalia Jackson and Mary J Blige as female vocalists and you haven't heard Ella on this album your missing out. You'd be foolish to ignore the incredible beauty of Ella Fitzgerald's vocals. No album displays her tenderness, her incredible vocal ability, her simplicity, her velvet timbre and her unfetted emotions like this album. You'd have to be dead not to be touched by this album. Go ahead and buy....you will have and enjoy this music for life! Trust me.