![]() ![]() Ella takes songs that are much loved, and much played and makes them sound fresh and alive, new even. The success of Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Song Book, if measured in chart terms, is at best average, spending just five weeks on the bestseller list, but that is looking at this monumental recording from the wrong perspective. Prior to this, Granz took the Jazz At The Philharmonic tour to Europe in February and, at the Deutschland Halle in Berlin, Ella was recorded for what became Mack The Knife – Ella In Berlin. He was increasingly involved with concert promotion and managing the careers of Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson in addition to Ella, and in late 1960, he sold Verve Records to MGM. It was while Ella was recording the Gershwin Songbook that Norman Granz moved to Lugano in Switzerland. Such was the extent of the Gershwin’s songbook that recording did not finish until July 18, 1959. In all, Ella did 57 Gershwin compositions aged 41, she was at the very peak of her vocal powers. “Love Is Here to Stay” was recorded the first day, as was “The Man I Love” and “A Foggy Day.” Two days later, Ella did “Somebody Loves Me,” with “I’ve Got a Crush on You” being done on January 8. They continued to work their way through The Great American Song Book, and it was on January 5, 1959, Ella began work on another major songbook, this one of George and Ira Gershwin’s timeless classics. Listen to Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Song Book now. In 1957, meanwhile, they undertook the Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book and, a year after that, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book. ![]() And, the following year, Granz produced two major projects for Ella, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book and Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book. Indeed, in 1955 Granz had wrestled away Ella’s recording contract from Decca Records. When Norman Granz started the Verve label in 1956 it was very much as a vehicle for the recording career of Ella Fitzgerald, who he had been managing for a number of years. ![]()
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