The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books
The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books were a series of eight studio albums released in irregular intervals between 1956 and 1964, recorded by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, supported by a variety of orchestras, big bands, and small jazz combos. The eight albums are as follows, with arrangers in parentheses: As stated in the liner notes, Fitzgerald and Norman Granz made one final addition to the series in 1981 on "Pablo Records" with: They are considered a cornerstone of 20th century recorded popular music, and as a whole, represent some of the finest  interpretations of the greater part of the musical canon known as the Great American Songbook. "The New York Times" columnist Frank Rich was moved to write a few days after Fitzgerald's death that in the Song Book series, she "performed a cultural transaction as extraordinary as Elvis's contemporaneous integration of white and African-American soul." Here was a black woman popularizing urban songs often written by immigrant Jews to a national audience of predominantly white Christians. As Ira Gershwin said, in the line quoted in every obituary: "I never knew how good our songs were until I heard  Ella Fitzgerald sing them." Most of the rest of us didn't know, either. By the time she had gone through the entire canon, songs that had been pigeonholed as show tunes or jazz novelties or faded relics of Tin Pan Alley had become American classical music, the property and pride of everyone." Frank Sinatra was moved out of respect for Fitzgerald to block Capitol from re-releasing his own albums in a similar, single composer vein. Verve reissued the eight albums in 1994 in this expansive boxset, which won the 1995 Grammy for Best Historical Recording. Track listing. The  Cole Porter Song Book (1956) "(Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book)" Disc two. All songs written by Cole Porter, except where indicated. Arrangements by Buddy Bregman. The Rodgers & Hart Song Book (1956) "(Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book)" Disc four. All songs composed by Richard Rodgers and all lyrics written by Lorenz Hart. Arrangements by Buddy Bregman. The Duke Ellington Song Book (1957) "(Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book)" Disc seven. All music written by Duke Ellington, lyricists indicated. Arrangements by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. The Irving Berlin Song Book (1958) "(Ella Fitzgerald  Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book)" Disc nine. All songs written by Irving Berlin. Arrangements by Paul Weston. The George and Ira Gershwin Song Book (1959) "(Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book)" Disc twelve. All music written by George Gershwin and all lyrics written by Ira Gershwin, unless otherwise indicated. Arrangements by Nelson Riddle. The Harold Arlen Song Book (1961) "(Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book)" Disc fourteen. All songs composed by Harold Arlen, with lyricists indicated. Arrangements by Billy May. The Jerome Kern Song Book (1963) "(Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song  Book)" Disc fifteen. All music written by Jerome Kern with lyricists as indicated. Arrangements by Nelson Riddle. The Johnny Mercer Song Book (1964) "(Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book)" Disc sixteen. All lyrics by Johnny Mercer, composers indicated. Arrangements by Nelson Riddle. Personnel. Recorded from February 7, 1956 – August 21, 1964 in Hollywood, Los Angeles: External links. University of Chicago - The complete Ella Fitzgerald song books [https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/9511118 <nowiki>Stanford - The complete Ella Fitzgerald song books [electronic resource]</nowiki>]