Picking my Top Ten Songs from Ella Fitzgerald is the kind of task that could keep one up all night. But what a wonderful way to spend an evening. The rich, provocative, lively and touching melodies that Ella shared during her long and productive professional life are part of America’s treasure of great music. Even now, after Ella’s passing this wonderful vocalist sings to us across the decades reminding us why she gained the title “The First Lady of Song”. For me, that voice is especially appealing and memorable in this list of Top Ten songs from Ella Fitzgerald.
For a songstress who has music to suit any mood and any time, it is appropriate that her rendition of “Night and Day” lands on my list of top ten songs from Ella Fitzgerald. Even though the tune, as sung by Ella Fitzgerald was probably not exactly performed in the voice or the tempo that Cole Porter had in mind when he wrote this classic American song, for me its a wonderful combination of two music geniuses, Fitzgerald and Porter. Ella gives it her own special something, playing with the words and challenging the listener to share in her interpretation which in some places makes the Cole Porter original even a bit more Ella than Cole and puts this song on my own top tens songs from Ella Fitzgerald.
Ella offered listeners all kinds of music and that even included novelty numbers. I can’t keep a “A Tisket a Tasket” and “Mack the Knife” off my list of top ten songs from Ella Fitzgerald. They both reveal Ella having a good time with what she is doing musically and the invitation is there to join her. I can never refuse a chance to catch a little of the personality of the singer and these two songs provide that window and land on my list of Top Ten Songs from Ella Fitzgerald .
“I sing like I feel” said Ella Fitzgerald according to the official Ella Fitzgerald Website. Sometimes the Ella left the playfulness behind and was most definitely blue. For someone looking for songs that openly commiserate with the pain that love can cause, don’t look any further than Ella Fitzgerald. There are plenty of songs to choose from if you are longing for some musical accompaniment. My choices are “Black Coffee”, “I Never Had a Chance” and when there seems like some light is peeping through at the end of the rainbow “We’ll Be Together Again/”.
For those deliriously lost/crazy in love Ella also provides a boat load of wonderful tunes. The range Ella Fitzgerald employs in “More Than You Know” brings me back for more every time and is on my top ten Ella list . Still I seldom pass on the chance to go day to “Like Someone In Love” or Ella’s take on “Embraceable You”
There is something in her voice that seems to say: “I know where you are, I’ve been there too.”
No list of top ten songs by Ella Fitzgerald would be complete without at least one jazz choice. Being an old trumpet player myself, I have always been partial to “Tenderly” as performed by Louis Armstrong and Ella. Seems to me like the best of all world’s and a good choice to crown my list of top ten songs by Ella Fitzgerald.
Resources:
www.ellafitzgerald.com
www.cduniverse.com
www.poemhunter.com
www.nutsie.com
