Thursday, 23 July 2009

'I Never Knew How Good Our Songs Were Until I Heard Ella Sing Them' (Ira Gershwin)

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)

I was listening to some Ella this morning - 'Manhattan' - and understood it just couldn't be sung any better - differently yes but not better.

This first lady of song molds every single musical phrase and lyric so that the combination is totally meaningful and individual and never musically commonplace.

So I needed to post a couple of songs!

'Every Time You Say Goodbye' (London, 1965) ...



Ella Fitzgerald 'Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered' ('The Nat 'King' Cole Show', 1960s) ...




Did Anyone hear her live?

And can say what the experience was like?
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23 comments:

  1. Anonymous23 July 2009 at 02:35

    Yes, many times. She was better in person. Her range was phenomenal, and style very approachable. She set the standard - one not yet reached again I'm afraid.

    Sarah Vaughn was as good, though in a different way. Her "Send In The Clowns" was incredible.

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  2. nickwallacesmith23 July 2009 at 02:49

    hey anon

    lucky you!

    i listen and am mezmerised - over and over

    and i'm not one to be carried away easily

    each seems the classic interpretation - tho as we agree there are others

    i imagine she was better live - apart from anything else she interacts to well with an audience - so self-effacing and funny and down-to-earth

    i'm off to google Sarah Vaughn's 'Send In The Clowns'!

    thanks

    nick

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  3. jackscribe23 July 2009 at 06:35

    Twice. When I was living in S.F., I took my visiting folks to see Ella at the famed Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel. In the audience was Bing Crosby and he joined Ella for one song. A few years later, I attended Ella's concert at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. I still vividly remember her belting out "Hey Jude". Yikes, that does date me!

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  4. Lúcio23 July 2009 at 12:25

    Yes, really lucky those who had the opportunity of watching her live! I'm in love with her and her amazing voice that always mesmerize me. I believe that "Misty" and "Angel Eyes" are two good examples that there are things destined to people; nobody could never sing those in a even way, they are for her to sing (and us to listen) and no one else.
    Love this blog, thanks!

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  5. Anonymous23 July 2009 at 13:21

    yes, also Sarah Vaughn and also Carmen McRae - three ladies of incredible talent with the ability to communicate lyrics right straight into your heart - what a shame that Ella had such terrible health toward the end - so sad - she was one of a kind and irreplaceable

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  6. nickwallacesmith23 July 2009 at 20:57

    hey lucio

    yes, i came across those two songs - it's hard to find one of hers that's not exceptional in some - they seem to have that 'just right' feel about them

    my parents saw her when i was a kid but sadly didn't think we were old enough to enjoy the performance - they may just have wanted a break from looking after us too - very justifiable!

    thanks for the appreciation - much appreciated! really

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  7. nickwallacesmith23 July 2009 at 20:59

    hey anon

    i guess the key (one of) to being a really great singer is to put your stamp on something that others imagine has no more possibilities

    thanks for the URL - off to check it out!

    cya

    nick

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  8. nickwallacesmith23 July 2009 at 21:00

    hey anon

    didn't know about her health issues - she seemed to just press on without complaining - which adds to her greatness

    cya

    nick

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  9. nickwallacesmith23 July 2009 at 21:13

    hey jackscribe

    good to hear from you

    i've officially reached my envy quotient for the day - LOL

    i've read other singers would see her - like going to have a music lesson!

    i mentioned that my parents saw/heard her - but left us home with the sitter - such is life! so close so far

    we all have a date that dates us and i hope we're all proud of the one we have!

    let's keep in touch

    nick

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  10. Anonymous24 July 2009 at 09:08

    re Ella's health - diabetic problems plus during the last 10 years she had a heart attack and quintuple bypass and lost both legs to diabetic complications - very sad way to go

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  11. nickwallacesmith24 July 2009 at 21:01

    hey anon

    sarah bernhardt had the same problem with diabetes and lost her legs too - the older footage shows her leaning against things to be upright

    sad to hear this about ella, very

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  12. Anonymous25 July 2009 at 14:54

    I saw Ella live at Forrest Hills Tennis Stadium in the early 70's. Rain came down in buckets during the intermission: not a drop fell during the performance...she was truly blessed, as were we who had the privilege of seeing her live. It doesn't get better than that. So thankful to have the recordings.
    Thanks for the videos.

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  13. nickwallacesmith25 July 2009 at 20:46

    hey anon

    lucky to have missed the downpour!

    and to have seen/heard Ella

    never lire of listening to the songs i posted - and the rest - 'manhattan' is another all-time fav - it's the way she phrases the lyrics, breaking up words at the end of lines that's magic

    take care

    nick

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  14. trevors2u27 July 2009 at 03:49

    I never heard her live, but was exposed through recordings as my father played in a jazz band. Now I live on U St in Washington DC, where Duke Ellington was born and where Ella won a talent contest at the now defunct Howard Theatre (I'll have to take a pic of it so you can see how really defunct it is!), but Ella is often mentioned as one of the doyennes of the U St jazz scent - it still goes on, in every little basement bar - someone unknown will get up and sing - it's all free, all spontaneous, so even tho we can't hear her, the place and the people keep the tradition going.

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  15. nickwallacesmith27 July 2009 at 21:06

    hey trevors2u

    i love that free spontaneous all welcome venue like U St

    when i was last in LA i went to a bar on santa monica blvde and there were people getting up and singing and one latino guy just blew the crowd away with a jazz version of 'over the rainbow' - started traditionally ... and then fireworks

    so good we left so the memory wouldn't be disturbed!

    good to hear from you

    take care

    nick

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  16. trevors2u28 July 2009 at 04:15

    That reminds me, every Friday night at the Duplex Bar in Greenwich village in New York, there is a sophisticated "karaoke" dedicated to Stephen Sondheim.... actors/singers (and wannabe actors/singers) heading home from the Broadway shows, stop off and sing with professional piano accompaniment. One night I was there and Terry White (she was the bartender!) sang Summertime without a mike and blew the house away.... btw, thanks for all your posts - I'm a BIG fan (use all the meanings of BIG) Love Trevor

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  17. nickwallacesmith31 July 2009 at 00:40

    hey trevors2u

    we've had venues like that here in sydney ... and i've come across them in manila in the philippines - what's so great (for a common and garden variety audience member particularly) is that you never know who'll drop in and sing - and bring the house down!

    very pleased you're enjoying yhe posts - love nick

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  18. Anonymous1 August 2009 at 16:02

    I am from Germany. I saw Ella many times live -10 or 12 times....And each concert was something special.
    First I saw her , ( very young LOL! 1967 - last time in Cologne 1990. Ella will be for ever my favorite singer, beside Barbra Streisand.
    If I listen her after a while, any time I am surprised, how good Ella is. The expression of her voice is unique. The phraise about her can never be enough!!!
    !971 I got a signature from her.
    She was such a heartful, wonderful woman and person. There will be never a singer like her.

    Thanks for the videos, and for these great site.
    Werner

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  19. nickwallacesmith4 August 2009 at 09:56

    hey werner

    good to hear from you!

    10-12 times for ella - you were very lucky

    i lived in europe for the first time for nearly 5 years as a teenager and in another way saw so many great performances - from herbert von karajan and the berlin phil who came to do beethoven's 4th and 5th symphonies to marlene deitrich doing her one-woman show

    and i can listen to ella endlessly - and do - the way she sings a song always seems the only way to do it, tho of course it can be done any number of others ways

    be in touch

    best

    nick

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  20. Sir's boy24 August 2009 at 20:50

    Ken Burns' documentary Jazz treated Ella very well. Lot's of archival and early footage. She has been a favorite of mine for about 15 years.

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  21. nickwallacesmith25 August 2009 at 04:06

    hey sir's boy

    thanks for the pointer to Ken Burn's doco - will search it out!

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  22. Anonymous1 January 2010 at 23:22

    THIS IS A PAThETIC thing I am about to say..I live several blocks from the DUPlex and I never go out! well to gay bars/cabaret etc..will try this year to make an effort..I just do not like BAD cabaret..and that means supporting friends..I stopped doing it about 10 years ago..it was PAINFUL TO HEAR!!!

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  23. nickwallacesmith1 January 2010 at 23:31

    hey anon

    look, i know what you mean! i've done enough supporting friends who 'sing' - i began feel a captive audience and not in the good way

    to have heard ella ... .

    cya, nick

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