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Nice backing on most tracks by a small combo that features Oscar Peterson on piano and Herb Ellis on guitar – and a larger group on a few more, with Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young on tenors! Titles include "Stompin At The Savoy", "Goody Goody", "Ill Wind", and "Bewitched Bothered & Bewildered".

Sweet arrangements by Nelson Riddle!

A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "Isn't It Romantic", "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "Bewitched", "Blue Moon", "A Ship Without A Sail", "I Could Write A Book", and "Where Or When".

A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook!

A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "A Ship Without A Sail", and "Have You Met Miss Jones".

Arrangements by Buddy Bregman – on titles that include "Give It Back To The Indians", "Ten Cents A Dance", "There's A Small Hotel", "I Could Write A Book", "Bewitched", "My Romance", "Blue Moon", and "Lover".

A nice one from Ella – and a good move past the Songbooks mode that sometimes dogged her years on Verve a bit too much! This set has Ella singing to light arrangements by Frank DeVol – nothing fancy, but a good set of tunes that are perfect for the lovely style that Ella was hitting back in the 50s. Tracks are short, uncomplicated, and very nicely swinging – even in the gentler moments – with titles that include "Let's Fall In Love", "Sweet & Lovely", "Moonlight Serenade", "I Remember You", and "East Of The Sun".

This is a 60s set that brings together the 2 volumes released separately. Among the 30 plus songs are "All Through The Night", "Anything Goes", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "I Love Paris", "Easy To Love", "You're The Top", "Let's Do It", "Begin The Beguine", "Love For Sale", "It's Delovely", "Night And Day", and "I've Got You Under My Skin".

Vocal magic from Ella Fitzgerald – a pair of 60s Verve albums, back to back on a single CD! On Ella Sings Broadway, Fitzgerald sings songs from the great white way – but in a style that makes the tunes completely her own! Marty Paich turns in some great jazzy arrangements for the set – and the tunes are far more swinging than the usual showtunes you might expect – stripped of all their stage-bound drama, and retooled by Paich as these tight little vehicles for Ella's amazing vocals! The album's arguably more expressive than even some of Fitzgerald's previous songbook sessions – even though most work comes from the same American stage mode – titles that include "Hernando's Hideaway", "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Guys and Dolls", "If I Were A Bell", "No Other Love", and "Steam Heat". They're not lying with the title to Rhythm Is My Business – as Ella's singing to backings from the great Bill Doggett – who cooks up some of the liveliest rhythms Ella ever received from Verve! The style is still similar to other Verve records of the time – with that magnificent Fitzgerald vocal style transforming familiar tunes and standards – but the groove is much more upbeat, and Ella swings it hard in a style that really takes us back to her earlier years. Titles include "Runnin Wild", "No Moon At All", "Laughin On The Outside", "I Can't Face The Music", and "Rough Ridin".

Sweet arrangements by Nelson Riddle!

Sweet arrangements by Nelson Riddle!

Very cool, very groovy, and one of Ella Fitzgerald's hippest albums of the 60s! The set was recorded in San Francisco in the late 60s, but was issued by MPS in Germany as proof that the label always had an ear for bringing something different out of a mainstream artist. And although live, the album's got a romping, hard grooving style that's filled with plenty of soul – arranged surprisingly by Tommy Flanagan, with a bouncing, bottom-end groove that even gets a bit funky at times! The centerpiece of the album is Ella's funky cover of the title cut – Cream's big hit "Sunshine Of Your Love" – proof that even an old gal can get funky with the right material! Other tracks include "This Girl's In Love With You", "Watch What Happens", "House Is Not A Home", and "Hey Jude".

Classic duets between Ella & Louis – done in a sweet mode that only could have been handled by Verve in the 50s! Backings are in a nice small combo mode, and Ella and Louis carry most of the set with their great vocal interplay – warm, personal, and pretty darn charming – in a mode that should be hokey, but comes across great! Titles include all tracks from the albums "Ella & Louis", "Ella & Louis Again" and "Porgy & Bess".

A selection of tunes from the film Pete Kelly's Blues – a 20s tale of jazz and gangsters that starred and was directed by Jack "Dragnet" Webb! Given the setting of the film, the tunes often have a more traditional jazz bent to them – with backing from the orchestra of Harold Mooney that features a fair bit of Kansas City-styled jazz. Peggy and Ella's vocals are pure 50s Decca, though – and if anything, the album's a great chance to hear them singing in a slightly different setting, but with all the strength of their best work of the time. Peggy sings on about 2/3 of the album – on tracks that include "Sugar", "I Never Knew", "Somebody Loves Me", and "I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now". Ella sings on the last third – on tracks that include "Ella Hums The Blues", "Pete Kelly's Blues", and "Hard Hearted Hannah".

Very cool, very groovy, and one of Ella Fitzgerald's hippest albums of the 60s! The set was recorded in San Francisco in the late 60s, but was issued by MPS in Germany as proof that the label always had an ear for bringing something different out of a mainstream artist. And although live, the album's got a romping, hard grooving style that's filled with plenty of soul – arranged surprisingly by Tommy Flanagan, with a bouncing, bottom-end groove that even gets a bit funky at times! The centerpiece of the album is Ella's funky cover of the title cut – Cream's big hit "Sunshine Of Your Love" – proof that even an old gal can get funky with the right material! Other tracks include "This Girl's In Love With You", "Watch What Happens", "House Is Not A Home", and "Hey Jude".

Probably the best-ever album by this obscure bluesy singer from Chicago! Jimmy Giuffre handled the arrangements, and the record has a bit more polish than some of her other albums. The tracks feature some very nice jazzy arrangements – with Jim Hall on guitar, Jimmy Jones on piano, and Harry Edison on trumpet. Lurlean's voice is deep and rich, with a sound that's a mix of Ella Fitzgerald and some of the icier singers, like Chris Connor or June Christy. Tracks include "Blue Turning Grey Over You", "Just Imagine", "My Kinda Love", "As Long As I Live", and "The Song Is You".

With Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Edison, Oscar Peterson, Zoot Sims, Al Grey, JJ Johnson, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Louis Bellson, and Joe Pass.

Features Ella Fitzgerald on vocal performances of "April In Paris", "Party Blues", and "Every Day I Have The Blues" – with Count Basie backing. Also features a jam session version of "Billie's Bounce" – with Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Tal Farlow, Zoot Sims, and others – and a solo piano take on "Lady Fair" by George Wallington.

The latest volume in one of our favorite series of soul jazz tracks! This one opens the scope way past previous volumes, and features a rollicking party of tasty little groovers – most of them with a raw, uptempo, funky 45 jukebox kind of feel! Tracks are from the Chess, Fantasy, Jewel, and Brunswick catalogs – with many rare numbers like "Fever" by Sharon Cash, "Get Ready" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Ain't There Something That Money Can't Buy" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Light My Fire" by Erma Franklin, "Hush" by Woody Herman, "Another Plan For School Mix Up" by The Cals, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Karen Hernandez, "Caesar's Pad" by Googie Rene, "The Point" by Aaron (Chico) Bailey & The Family Affair Band, "I Got To See My Baby" by Lee Jones & The Unforgotten Two, and "Ain't It A Groove" by Dave Hamilton. 23 cuts in all – and very very groovy!

A great later Norman Granz live production – with work by Ella Fitzgerald, Flip Phillips, Illinois Jacquet, Louis Armstrong, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and others!

Includes tracks by James P Johnson, Herman Chittison, Joe Venuti & His Orchestra, Benny Carter & His Orchestra, Billy Kyle & His Swing Band, Coleman Hawkins Quartet, Sidney Bechet Quartet, the Gotham Stompers, Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtime Band, Ella Fitzgerald & Her Orchestra, Billie Holiday, and the Three Peppers.

The Verve vaults are open again – and as with other Remixed sets, they've let in a host of hip talents to change up their classics! This time around, the results seem even better than before – thanks partly to a very strong array of mixers, including some of our own personal funky favorites – but also thanks to a change in remixing styles for this sort of work – an added complexity, and respect for the originals – so that the tunes aren't just simple smatterings of old vocals over contemporary beats! Titles include "Cry Me A River" by Dinah Washington remixed by Truth & Soul, "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" by Roy Ayers remixed by 9th Wonder, "Gimme Some" by Nina Simone remixed by Mike Mangini, "There Was A Time" by James Brown remixed by Kenny Dope, "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw remixed by Diplo, "Take Care Of Business" by Nina Simone remixed by Pilooski, "Bim Bom" by Astrud Gilberto remixed by Psapp, "Dilo Como Yo" by Patato & Totico remixed by Antibalas, "Evil Ways" by Willie Bobo remixed by Karriem Riggins, "I Get A Kick Out Of You" by Ella Fitzgerald remixed by Cinematic Orchestra, and "Tea For Two" by Sarah Vaughan remixed by Chris Shaw.

Some of the most important recordings in the career of Sarah Vaughan – rich package of albums that really helped her refine her style strongly, and unlock an approach to jazz that nobody else could touch! Vaughan had always been a great singer, no matter what the setting – but here, she takes things a strong step forward – by mixing instrumental inspiration with careful lyrical delivery, all at a level that's quite different than Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, or any other contemporaries! Vaughan's got this mature approach that's never overdone, and never tries to call too much attention to itself – even though Sarah's singing in ways that are technically mindblowing, and set to the kinds of backings that never would have been so subtle a few years before. The beautiful package is a 7" square book – with heavy hardcovers, and lots of color images on the many pages inside – plus four CDs nestled alongside the words – containing the full albums Images, In The Land Of Hi Fi, Sarah Vaughan, At Mister Kelly's, After Hours At The London House, and No Count Sarah – plus 11 bonus tracks added to the Mister Kelly's album, and 5 more bonus tracks from the Swingin Easy record as well. 72 tracks in all – in a really lovely package!

An all-star tribute to the legendary Ella Fitzgerald – one that features a number of contemporary singers trying to recapture the magic of Ella's best work from the 50s and 60s! We'll be honest in saying that we were a bit suspicious of this one at first, but the quality is surprisingly strong – mostly in an acoustic, swinging, jazzy mode – with arrangements predominantly by Rob Mounsey, and most singers really doing their best to hit a Fitgerald sort of groove. It's interesting to hear some of these vocalists doing their best to match Ella's phrasing, on titles that include "Blues In The Night" by Ledisi, "The Lady Is A Tramp" by Queen Latifah, "A Tisket A Tasket" by Natalie Cole, "Lullaby Of Birdland" by Chaka Khan, "Angel Eyes" by KD Lang, "Reaching For The Moon" by Lizz Wright, "Someone To Watch Over Me" by Gladys Knight, "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me" by Etta James, and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" by Ella Fitzgerald & Stevie Wonder.