The Best of the Song Books
Trying to cull a single-CD "Best of" from the 16-CD set ofThe Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Booksmay seem like a daunting task, but it's also foolproof. The complete set is a monument to the century's greatest songs and, arguably, its greatest singer, and this selection is a series of gems programmed to simulate a Fitzgerald performance, carefully sequencing joyous uptempo swingers and moving ballads. Recorded between 1956 and 1964, Fitzgerald's finest years, the CD includes arrangements byNelson Riddle,Billy May, and Buddy Bregman, as well as a superb rendering of "I've Got It Bad" with theEllingtonorchestra andJohnny Hodges. Balancing the orchestral settings are some intimate small-group performances, including a witty rendition ofCole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" and Rodgers and Hart's "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." This is an ideal introduction to the "Song Books," a selection so good it will appeal to owners of the box sets.--Stuart Broomer