18 replies to this topic

[connoisseur series500]

AMG gives this only three stars, which I think is nuts.

I love this cd. You can even pick up an inexpensive 20bit K-2 version.

Edited by connoisseur series500, 02 September 2007 - 12:01 PM.

[connoisseur series500]

My favorite tune on this is Agua de Beber. Ella really belts it.

Ele e Carioca starts off like it's a disco tune, but it's a terrific tune as well.

Jobim had such a gift for melody, and Ella is the best!

[felser]

My favorite tune on this is Agua de Beber. Ella really belts it.

Ele e Carioca starts off like it's a disco tune, but it's a terrific tune as well.

Jobim had such a gift for melody, and Ella is the best!

When I heard this CD, what I was struck by was that her voice sounded shot. Very nice otherwise - Pablo was dependable for nicely produced and recorded albums. I have this CD for trade/sale on my list if anyone is looking for it.

[connoisseur series500]

My favorite tune on this is Agua de Beber. Ella really belts it.

Ele e Carioca starts off like it's a disco tune, but it's a terrific tune as well.

Jobim had such a gift for melody, and Ella is the best!

When I heard this CD, what I was struck by was that her voice sounded shot. Very nice otherwise - Pablo was dependable for nicely produced and recorded albums. I have this CD for trade/sale on my list if anyone is looking for it.

Hardly a ringing endorsement of my selection, John, but I'd prefer that you be honest rather than sugarcoat anything. You are keeping a copy for yourself, right?

I should point out that this is the only Ella Fitzgerald in my collection so what sounds like a shot voice to you sounds fine to me. I haven't heard her voice in full bloom for a long time. I have heard Ella in her prime on cds but I don't own any of them any more. It's been a while.

[JSngry]

Not at all familiar w/this one.

Who's the arranger?

[Jim R]

Love Ella. Love Jobim. Could never stand this CD. Overall, not a good pairing of artist and material, to my ears (and I'm being polite).

[connoisseur series500]

Not at all familiar w/this one.

Who's the arranger?

Erich Bulling.

[JSngry]

Not at all familiar w/this one.

Who's the arranger?

Erich Bulling.

Thanks. Not a familiar name to me.

I see on AMG that he's done mostly Pop work. Would it be fair to say that this album might be geared more towards a pop audience than a jazz one?

Which would be ok with me, actually, because A) I often feel that Ella hits the mark more often as a "pop singer" than as a "jazz singer" (although there's no absolutes either way on that one for me); & B) Doing Jobim "that way" has led to results ranging from sublime to horrific. I'd like to hear sometimes how this one comes out.

[felser]

[quote name='felser' post='689467' date='Sep 2 2007, 05:01 PM'][quote name='connoisseur series500' post='689388' You are keeping a copy for yourself, right?

I should point out that this is the only Ella Fitzgerald in my collection so what sounds like a shot voice to you sounds fine to me. I haven't heard her voice in full bloom for a long time. I have heard Ella in her prime on cds but I don't own any of them any more. It's been a while.[/quote]
Not keeping a copy for myself. When I want to hear Ella, I'll go to the Songbooks (got complete 16 CD set on yourmusic.com for $96 when they first started) or some of the other 50's/early 60's Verve stuff. I'm different than a lot of listeners here, where I don't get off on vocal technique too often if it doesn't have a purity of voice with it. I don't do well with later recordings of jazz vocalists in general. Late Mel Torme, late Ella, late Sarah all are difficult for me, as is 50's Billie, etc.

[danasgoodstuff]

Dude, you finally get your chance to pick an AOTW that you really love and nobody else digs it. I fell your pain, and clem hsn't even posted yet! Haven't heard this one myself, if I had I'd try to find something nice to say...in principle, deteriating (sp?) pipes aren't a deal wrecker for me...

[connoisseur series500]

Dude, you finally get your chance to pick an AOTW that you really love and nobody else digs it. I fell your pain, and clem hsn't even posted yet! Haven't heard this one myself, if I had I'd try to find something nice to say...in principle, deteriating (sp?) pipes aren't a deal wrecker for me...

Good point!

I am not offended at all. I hadn't heard much of this cd so thought I'd bring it up for comments. I'm not a big lover of jazz vocals either but dug what I heard here.

There's a lot of good music out there and in my collection! I want to see what others think too. It's kind of funny selecting something that is being dumped on! LOL!

[danasgoodstuff]

con,

good attitude, sorry to say I had a hard time being quite so philosophic 'bout my AOTWs...

[felser]

con,

good attitude, sorry to say I had a hard time being quite so philosophic 'bout my AOTWs...

Hey, I'm happy anytime my AOTW's can generate discussion, pro or con, anymore. I've put what I think are some great albums up at times, and like three people comment the whole week. It gets discouraging. John Handy - Live at Monterey, what I consider a seminal album of 60's jazz, precursor to jazz/rock fusion, and Chuck hates it and two people haven't heard it, and no other responses. Max Roach - Members Don't Get Weary, and two people have anything to say about the album, and the rest of the discussion is about the style of electric bass that Jymie Merritt uses. And so on and so forth.

Edited by felser, 03 September 2007 - 08:17 PM.

[connoisseur series500]

I was listening to a few of the tunes today in the car and was reminded of how much I like this cd. Ella's singing is one thing. I am not a lover of jazz vocals, but the play of her band is another. Great band, and they play very well on this outing.

[Jim R]

I revisited it also, and unfortunately it hasn't grown on me. I've heard a LOT of other interpretations of Jobim's works since I last heard this (many by brazilians, which may help to explain that). I guess I'll forever be a purist about bossa nova, but to me you have to meet this music on its own terms. You can't swing the shit out of it like it was the Basie songbook, you don't want to "belt" it, and the more intensely you try to improvise and scat and take liberties with those timeless melodies, the more you should consider doing a tribute to a different composer. It's not that I haven't heard and enjoyed a lot of jazz interpretations of Jobim- I have. I own many. The problem is that Ella's flamboyant style and sense of rhythm was just not well-suited for this. Not for me, anyway. Still love Ella, I just don't think this project worked.

Edited by Jim R, 05 September 2007 - 02:22 AM.

[shaft]

Hi
I have had this excellent music on LP and then on CD and was happy to find it remastered in a K2 version. It sounds more than OK for me. The musicians sound clean and Abe Laboriel's (remember him?) bass lines sounds full and rounded. Toots harmonica sounds as great as ever and Joe Pass soft electric guitar hovers on top of it all. His playing is really good. He always finds just the right note just as Zoot Sims also does. Ellas voice is not in her prime and is presentet a tad mellower than other recordings. But whats she lacks in power, pyrotechnics and clarity she gains in expressiveness and sheer happiness in he material. She really likes to sing this. You can hear her smile;-)

This is the last songbook by Ella. It is not big band swing or ballads with strings. It is a smaller and tighter band that play like a mix of brazil and "grown up" contemporary jazz. Alex Acuna and Paulinho da Costa lays down some tasty percussion very very tasty indeed. s Jim rightly says it is not pure bossa nova in any sense. It is more an interpretation of the melodies put in another setting. However it is far from pop. Just listen to Joe Pass's solo in Triste he's just in there improvising.
Well as you can hear I'm quite taken by this album. But since I've had it in some form the last 20 years and listened to it many times I guess I am a bit biased by this personal favourite. However it would be nice if it finds a home in someone elses heart ;-)
/Shaft

[DukeCity]

I dig Ella, but this one doesn't really work for me. Yeah, it's later Ella and she's not in her prime, but it's mostly just the the when-worlds-collide feeling I get with Ella singing over an electric rhythm section. I'm confident that it could've worked with an acoustic rhythm section, or a different singer over this one. But the electric piano and bass just highlight the fact that Ella isn't/wasn't really a 1980's kinda gal.

And it doesn't help that Zoot and CT sound equally out of place in that setting.

Toots sound fine in that whole reverb-drenched thing.

No dis on choosing this as AOTW, and I'm glad that some here enjoy this one. Hell, I hadn't even heard this one until it was mentioned here, so I'm glad it came up. Now I know...

[connoisseur series500]

Hi
I have had this excellent music on LP and then on CD and was happy to find it remastered in a K2 version. It sounds more than OK for me. The musicians sound clean and Abe Laboriel's (remember him?) bass lines sounds full and rounded. Toots harmonica sounds as great as ever and Joe Pass soft electric guitar hovers on top of it all. His playing is really good. He always finds just the right note just as Zoot Sims also does. Ellas voice is not in her prime and is presentet a tad mellower than other recordings. But whats she lacks in power, pyrotechnics and clarity she gains in expressiveness and sheer happiness in he material. She really likes to sing this. You can hear her smile;-)

This is the last songbook by Ella. It is not big band swing or ballads with strings. It is a smaller and tighter band that play like a mix of brazil and "grown up" contemporary jazz. Alex Acuna and Paulinho da Costa lays down some tasty percussion very very tasty indeed. s Jim rightly says it is not pure bossa nova in any sense. It is more an interpretation of the melodies put in another setting. However it is far from pop. Just listen to Joe Pass's solo in Triste he's just in there improvising.
Well as you can hear I'm quite taken by this album. But since I've had it in some form the last 20 years and listened to it many times I guess I am a bit biased by this personal favourite. However it would be nice if it finds a home in someone elses heart ;-)
/Shaft

Glad that someone else digs this cd. I've heard it quite a few times now, and continue to appreciate it. I rate this one highly. Great songs; great band; and Ella is terrific. Her technique is incredible.

[shaft]

Hi again,
It's cool guys We don't have to like everything that someone else likes.

Ella was a true artist and her career was really awesome. I was listening to her early Decca sides yesterday and a tissket a tasket with Chick Webb's orch was also great in my opinion. Then i put on "Blue Skies" from the Songbooks and was really blown away. That is one great song! And then some Ella & Louis (Armstrong) and you have a nice day ahead of you ;-)

About Ella & Jobim. I just know that more people would like it if they listened to it and who knows some more will maybe just itune-it-down after this or just give it a quick preview listen? Why not?
/Shaft