Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook is a 1959 (see
1959 in music-Events:* 1959 Jimi Hendrix buys first electric guitar: a White Single pickup Supro Ozark 1560 S.*January 5 The first sessions for Ella Fitzgerald's George and Ira Gershwin Songbook are held....
) five album set by the American
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
singer
Ella FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Lady Ella", and the "First Lady of Song", was an American jazz vocalist....
, focusing on the songs of
GeorgeGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are universally familiar....
and
Ira GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
. It was recorded with the
Nelson RiddleNelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American bandleader, arranger and orchestrator whose career spanned from the late 1940s, struggled with the advent of rock 'n' roll, and saw a career revival in the early 1980s...
Orchestra, marking the first time that Ella and Riddle had worked together. This album is the largest single recording project that Ella worked on, and it is considered by some to be one of the most ambitious achievements in Western popular music.
The album cover is an original portrait of Ella Fitzgerald by the French artist
Bernard BuffetBernard Buffet was a French painter of Expressionism and Member of the Anti-Abstract Art Group "L 'homme Témoin [the Witness-Man]".-Life and Work:...
, starting a tradition of using contemporary artists for Ella's albums, the artwork of
Henri MatisseHenri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid, brilliant and original draughtsmanship. He was a master draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but excelled primarily as a painter. Matisse is regarded, with Picasso, as the greatest artist of the 20th century...
gracing the cover of her
Harold Arlen SongbookElla Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook is a 1961 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Billy May...
(1961).
Riddle arranged 59 Gershwin compositions for the album, including the two orchestral suites which open the album.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook is a 1959 (see
1959 in music-Events:* 1959 Jimi Hendrix buys first electric guitar: a White Single pickup Supro Ozark 1560 S.*January 5 The first sessions for Ella Fitzgerald's George and Ira Gershwin Songbook are held....
) five album set by the American
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
singer
Ella FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Lady Ella", and the "First Lady of Song", was an American jazz vocalist....
, focusing on the songs of
GeorgeGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are universally familiar....
and
Ira GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
. It was recorded with the
Nelson RiddleNelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American bandleader, arranger and orchestrator whose career spanned from the late 1940s, struggled with the advent of rock 'n' roll, and saw a career revival in the early 1980s...
Orchestra, marking the first time that Ella and Riddle had worked together. This album is the largest single recording project that Ella worked on, and it is considered by some to be one of the most ambitious achievements in Western popular music.
The album cover is an original portrait of Ella Fitzgerald by the French artist
Bernard BuffetBernard Buffet was a French painter of Expressionism and Member of the Anti-Abstract Art Group "L 'homme Témoin [the Witness-Man]".-Life and Work:...
, starting a tradition of using contemporary artists for Ella's albums, the artwork of
Henri MatisseHenri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid, brilliant and original draughtsmanship. He was a master draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but excelled primarily as a painter. Matisse is regarded, with Picasso, as the greatest artist of the 20th century...
gracing the cover of her
Harold Arlen SongbookElla Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook is a 1961 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Billy May...
(1961).
Riddle arranged 59 Gershwin compositions for the album, including the two orchestral suites which open the album. Though Fitzgerald was 22 years old at the time George Gershwin died, Ira Gershwin was still alive to see this project completed, and helped contribute lyrics and support to some songs on the album which had never been recorded before. It was of this project that led Ira Gershwin to say that he had "never known how good our songs were until I heard Ella sing them".
Ella Fitzgerald was 41 when she recorded this album, and the peak of her vocal powers, demonstrated in the earlier Duke Ellington Songbook, and her two greatest live albums from this period,
Ella in BerlinElla in Berlin is a live 1960 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. This album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical...
(1960) and
Ella in RomeElla in Rome: The Birthday Concert is a 1958 album by Ella Fitzgerald, with a jazz trio led by Lou Levy, and also featuring the Oscar Peterson trio....
(1958). Like the other songbooks devoted to the
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
composers, Ella gets only a single outlet for her notable
scat singingIn vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with random vocables and syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice....
, on the epic "I Got Rhythm".
Ella's recording of "
But Not for Me"But Not for Me" is a popular song, composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was written for their musical Girl Crazy and introduced in the original production by Ginger Rogers...
" won her the
1960 Grammy AwardThe second Grammy Awards were held on November 29, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for that particular year. Duke Ellington won three awards.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Bobby Darin for "Mack the Knife"...
for Best Vocal Performance, Female.
Track listing
For the 1998
VerveVerve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The...
Reissue, Verve 314 539 759-2
Disc One
- Ambulatory Suite (Instrumental) (George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are universally familiar....
)
- "Promenade (Walking the Dog)" – 2:31,
- "March of the Swiss Soldiers" – 2:04,
- "Fidgety Feet" – 2:46
- The Preludes (Instrumental) (G. Gershwin)
- Prelude I – 1:36,
- Prelude II – 3:48,
- Prelude III – 1:13,
- "Sam and Delilah
"Sam and Delilah" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Ethel Merman in the 1930 musical Girl Crazy.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:15
- "But Not For Me
"But Not for Me" is a popular song, composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was written for their musical Girl Crazy and introduced in the original production by Ginger Rogers...
" – 3:31
- "My One and Only
"My One and Only" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1927 musical Funny Face where it was introduced by Fred Astaire, Betty Compton and Gertrude McDonald...
" – 2:36
- "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as part of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates...
" – 4:26
- "(I've Got) Beginner's Luck
" Beginner's Luck" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1937 film Shall We Dance, it was introduced by Fred Astaire.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:08
- "Oh, Lady be Good!
"Oh, Lady be Good!" is a 1924 song by George and Ira Gershwin.The song was introduced by Walter Catlett in the Broadway show, Lady, Be Good!, written by Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson, and the Gershwin brothers, starring Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire. It ran for 330 performances in its original...
" – 3:58
- "Nice Work If You Can Get It
"Nice Work If You Can Get It" is a popular song.The music was written by George Gershwin, the lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was one of nine songs George Gershwin wrote for the movie A Damsel in Distress, in which it was performed by Fred Astaire with backing vocals provided by The Stafford Sisters...
" – 3:32
- "Things Are Looking Up
"Things Are Looking Up" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:03
- "Just Another Rhumba
"Just Another Rumba" is a 1937 song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.Most likely written for a A Damsel in Distress it was never included in the final production, and although the song went into rehearsal for The Goldwyn Follies , it was never included in the final...
" – 5:34
- "How Long Has This Been Going On?
"How Long Has This Been Going On?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the musical Funny Face in 1927.Replaced by "He Loves and She Loves" in Funny Face, it was eventually introduced in the musical Rosalie by Bobbe Arnst.-Notable recordings:*Kristin Chenoweth, on...
" – 3:45
- "'S Wonderful
"'S Wonderful" is a popular song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics written by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced in the Broadway musical Funny Face by Adele Astaire and Allen Kearns....
" – 3:28
- "The Man I Love
"The Man I Love" is a popular standard, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira. Originally part of the 1927 score for the Gershwin antiwar musical satire Strike Up the Band, the song was removed from the 1930 version of the show, and, as with many standards of the era, has...
" – 3:50
- "That Certain Feeling
"That Certain Feeling" is a 1925 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin .It was introduced by Allen Kearns and Queenie Smith in the 1925 musical Tip-Toes .-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:07
- "By Strauss
"By Strauss" is a 1936 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.Performed by the Gershwins at private parties, Vincente Minnelli included it in his 1936 revue The Show is On, where it was introduced by Gracie Barrie and Robert Shafter. It was then performed by Gene Kelly and...
" – 2:29
- "Someone to Watch Over Me
"Someone to Watch Over Me" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin from the musical Oh, Kay! , where it was introduced by Gertrude Lawrence...
" – 4:30
- "The Real American Folk Song (Is a Rag)
"The Real American Folk Song " is a 1918 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was the first Gershwin song to be performed on Broadway, where it was introduced by Nora Bayes in the 1918 musical Look Who's Here....
" – 3:43
Disc Two
- "Who Cares?
"Who Cares?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for their 1931 musical Of Thee I Sing.-Notable recordings:*Anita O'Day*Fred Astaire with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra...
" – 3:05
- "Looking For a Boy
"Looking For a Boy" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was introduced in their 1925 musical Tip-Toes.-Notable recordings:*Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook...
" – 3:02
- "They All Laughed
"They All Laughed" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1937 film Shall We Dance where it was introduced by Ginger Rogers as part of a song and dance routine with Fred Astaire.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:02
- "My Cousin in Milwaukee
"My Cousin in Milwaukee" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced in their 1932 musical Pardon My English.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:07
- "Somebody from Somewhere
"Somebody from Somewhere" is a 1931 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was written for the film Delicious , where it was introduced by Janet Gaynor and a whiskey bottle.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:06
- "A Foggy Day
"A Foggy Day" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress...
" – 3:50
- "Clap Yo' Hands
"Clap Yo' Hands" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was introduced in the musical Oh, Kay! , and was featured by Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson in a song and dance routine in Funny Face ....
" – 2:28
- "For You, For Me, For Evermore
"For You, For Me, For Evermore" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.Written around 1936-7, it was rediscovered by Ira Gershwin when he was preparing music for The Shocking Miss Pilgrim , where it was introduced by Dick Haymes.-Notable recordings:*Ella Fitzgerald -...
" – 3:23
- "Stiff Upper Lip
"Stiff Upper Lip" is a 1937 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It references the British expression 'Stiff upper lip'.It was introduced by Gracie Allen in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress.-Notable recordings:...
" – 2:50
- "Boy Wanted
"Boy Wanted" is a 1921 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was introduced in the musical A Dangerous Maid .-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:33
- "Strike Up the Band
Strike Up The Band is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was written for the 1927 musical Strike Up the Band, where it formed part of a satire on war and militaristic music. Although the musical was not successful, the title song has remained as a popular...
" – 2:33
- "Soon
"Soon" is the name of at least five songs.One is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Helen Gilligan and Jerry Goff in the 1930 revision of the musical Strike Up the Band....
" – 2:20
- "I've Got a Crush on You
"I've Got a Crush on You" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It is unique among Gershwin compositions in that it was used for two different Broadway productions, Treasure Girl , and Strike Up the Band ....
" – 3:26
- "Bidin' My Time
"Bidin' My Time" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by The Foursome in the 1930 musical Girl Crazy.-Notable recordings:...
" – 2:40
- "Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did?
"Aren't You Kinda Glad We Did?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.Ira Gershwin added the lyrics in the mid 1940s, to an unused tune by his brother, George....
" – 3:28
- "Of Thee I Sing
"Of Thee I Sing" is a 1931 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was introduced by William Gaxton and Lois Moran in the 1931 musical Of Thee I Sing.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:07
- "'The Half of it, Dearie' Blues
"The Half of it, Dearie' Blues" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire and Kathlene Martyn in the 1924 musical Lady be Good.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:45
- "I Was Doing All Right
"I Was Doing All Right" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Ella Logan in the 1937 film The Goldwyn Follies.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:25
- "He Loves and She Loves
"He Loves and She Loves" is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It replaced "How Long Has This Been Going On?" in the Broadway musical Funny Face. It was introduced by Adele Astaire and Allen Kearns...
" – 2:46
- "Love Is Sweeping the Country
"Love is Sweeping the Country" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by George Murphy and Jane O'Dea in the 1931 musical Of Thee I Sing.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:24
- "Treat Me Rough
"Treat Me Rough" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by William Kent in the 1930 musical Girl Crazy.-Notable recordings:...
" – 2:54
Disc Three
- "Our Love is Here to Stay
"Love Is Here to Stay" is a popular song and a jazz standard. The music was written by George Gershwin, the lyrics by Ira Gershwin, for the movie The Goldwyn Follies which was released shortly after George Gershwin's death. "Our Love Is Here to Stay" also appeared, perhaps most memorably, in the...
" – 3:52
- "Slap That Bass
"Slap That Bass" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, introduced by Fred Astaire and Dudley Dickerson in the 1937 film Shall We Dance.The song refers to the slap style of double bass playing that was popular at the time....
" – 3:23
- "Isn't It a Pity?
"Isn't It a Pity?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1933 musical Pardon My English. It was introduced by George Givot and Josephine Huston.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:23
- "Shall We Dance?" – 3:08
- "Love Walked In
"Love Walked In" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was composed in 1930, but the lyrics were not written until 1937, for the movie musical The Goldwyn Follies . Hit versions include Sammy Kaye , The Hilltoppers , Ella Fitzgerald , and Dinah Washington...
" – 3:52
- "You've Got What Gets Me
"You've Got What Gets Me" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1932 film Girl Crazy. Although it was not included in the film, the Gershwins were paid $2,500 for their efforts .-Notable recordings:...
" – 2:13
- "They Can't Take That Away from Me
"They Can't Take That Away From Me" is a 1937 song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film Shall We Dance....
" – 3:07
- "Embraceable You
"Embraceable You" is a popular song, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was originally written in 1928 for an unpublished operetta named East is West. It was eventually published in 1930 and included in the Broadway musical Girl Crazy. where it was performed by...
" – 4:49
- "I Can't Be Bothered Now
"I Can't Be Bothered Now" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1937 film A Damsel In Distress, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire.-Notable recordings:...
" – 2:48
- "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!
"Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Ethel Merman in the 1930 musical Girl Crazy.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:46
- "Fascinating Rhythm
"Fascinating Rhythm" is a popular song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was first introduced by Cliff Edwards, Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire in the Broadway musical Lady Be Good. The Astaires also recorded the song on April 19, 1926 in London with George Gershwin...
" – 3:22
- "Funny Face
"Funny Face" is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was the title song of Funny Face, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire, and his sister, Adele...
" – 3:23
- "Loreli
"Lorelei" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin; it was written for their musical Pardon My English .It is about the Loreley legend.-Notable Recordings:...
" – 3:21
- "Oh, So Nice!
"Oh, So Nice!" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was introduced by Gertrude Lawrence and Paul Frawley in the 1928 musical Treasure Girl.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:40
- "Let's Kiss and Make Up
"Let's Kiss and Make Up" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was introduced in their 1927 musical Funny Face by Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire.-Notable recordings:...
" – 3:49
- "I Got Rhythm
"I Got Rhythm" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, published in 1930, which became a widely-known jazz standard...
" – 3:07
Disc Four
- "Somebody Loves Me
"Somebody Loves Me" is a popular song, with music written by George Gershwin, and lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and B. G. De Sylva. The song was published in 1924 and featured in George White's Scandals of 1924....
" (G. Gershwin, Buddy DeSylva, Ballard McDonald) – 2:36
- "Cheerful Little Earful" (Harry Warren
Harry Warren was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know" and "On the Atchison,...
, Ira GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
, Billy RoseWilliam "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
) – 2:06
Alternative Takes and Remixes
- "But Not for Me" – 2:05 (45 rpm Take)
- "Lorelei" (Alternative Take) – 3:00
- "Our Love is Here to Stay" (Partial Alternative Take) – 3:51
- "Oh, Lady be Good!" (Alternative Take) – 4:04
- "Oh, Lady be Good!" (Alternative Take) – 3:56
- "Oh, Lady be Good!" (Alternative Take) – 4:12
- "But Not for Me" – 2:05 (Mono Mix)
- "Fascinating Rhythm" – 3:21 (Mono Mix)
- "They All Laughed" – 3:02 (Mono Mix)
- "The Man I Love" – 3:50 (Mono Mix)
- "Nice Work If You Can Get It" – 3:32 (Mono Mix)
- "Clap Yo' Hands" – 2:29 (Mono Mix)
- "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" – 4:26 (Mono Mix)
- "I Was Doing All Right" – 3:25 (Mono Mix)
- "He Loves and She Loves" – 2:46 (Mono Mix)
- "(I've Got) Beginner's Luck" – 3:07 (Mono Mix)
All Tracks composed by
George GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are universally familiar....
and all lyrics written by
Ira GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
, unless otherwise indicated.
- Disc One, Two and Three original LP issue: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George & Ira Gershwin Songbook Verve MGVS 6082-5
- Disc One, tracks 1 and 2 original 7'-EP (Verve VS 100) issued with the above
- Disc Four, tracks 1 and 2 originally issued on the 1959 Ella Fitzgerald album Get Happy! (Verve V6-4036).
- Disc Four, track 3 original 7'- single issue: Verve 10180
- Disc Four, tracks 4, 5, and 9-18: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George & Ira Gershwin Songbook Vol.1 Verve MGVS 6102
- Disc Four, tracks 6 and 7 previously unissued.
- Disc Four, track 8: The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks
The Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks 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 jazz quartets....
Verve 519 832-2
Personnel
Recorded 1959:
5th-8th
18th and 26th
15th-17th,
at Capitol Studios, Hollywood:
Combined personnel listing for all tracks.
- Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Lady Ella", and the "First Lady of Song", was an American jazz vocalist....
- Vocals
- Don Fagerquist
Don Fagerquist was a small group, big band, and studio jazz trumpet player from the West Coast of the United States...
- TrumpetThe trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC...
- Pete Candoli
Pete Candoli , born Walter Joseph Candoli, was an American swing and West Coast jazz trumpeter. He played with the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and many others, and worked extensively in the studios of the recording and television industries...
- Joe Triscari
- Conrad Gozzo
Conrad J. Gozzo was an American trumpet player born in New Britain Connecticut. Gozzo was a member of the NBC Hollywood staff orchestra at the time of his death in October, 1964...
- Cappy Lewis
- Vito Mangano
- Mannie Klein
Manny Klein was a jazz trumpeter most associated with swing.He began with Paul Whiteman in 1928 and was active throughout the 1930s playing with several major bands of the era including the Dorseys and Benny Goodman. In 1937 he moved to California and worked with Frank Trumbauer's orchestra...
- Dale McMickle
- Shorty Sherock
Clarence "Shorty" Sherock was a prominent swing jazz trumpeter.Sherock attended the Illinois Military Academy before becoming a soloist with Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra and later with Gene Krupa's Orchestra, together with saxophonist Sam Donahue.He was a featured soloist at the first concert of...
- Milt Bernhart - Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- James Priddy
- Juan Tizol
Juan Tizol was a Puerto Rican trombonist and composer.He was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico and moved to the mainland United States in 1920. He trained as a valve trombonist and played the Valide trombone. He worked with Duke Ellington from 1929 to 1944, and it was during this period that he...
- Richard Noel
- Tommy Pederson
- Karl DeKarske - Bass Trombone
- George Roberts
- Vincent DeRosa - French horn
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
- James Decker
- Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by the Belgian instrument designer in 1841 Adolphe Sax. The alto, with the tenor, is the most common size of saxophone...
- Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
- Ronnie Lang
- Chuck Gentry - Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest existing member of the saxophone family . It is similar in design to a baritone saxophone, but it is larger, with a longer loop near the mouthpiece. Unlike the baritone, the bass saxophone is not commonly used...
- Plas Johnson
Plas John Johnson Jr. is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most familiar as the lead on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme"....
- Tenor SaxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, is the most common type of saxophone. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble clef,...
- Ed Gilbert - Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
- Red Callender
Red Callender, , was a jazz bass and tuba player, famous for turning down a chance to work with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars. [1]...
- Buddy Collette - Woodwind
- Buck Skalak
- Gene Cipriano
- Jewell Grant
- Jules Jacob
- Wilbur Schwartz
Wilbur Schwartz was a clarinetist and alto saxophonist best remembered today for his work with Glenn Miller....
- Justin Gordon
- William Green
- Harry Klee
- Joe Koch
- Champ Webb
- Israel Baker - Violin
The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
- Henry Hill
- Harold Dicterow
- Erno Neufield
- Victor Arno
- Victor Bay
- Alex Beller
- Joseph Livoti
- Jacques Gasselin
- Walter Edelstein
- James Getzoff
- Eudice Shapiro
- Ben Gill
- Murrary Kellner
- Nat Ross
- Felix Slatkin
- Marshall Sosson
- Misha Russell
- Paul Shure
- Dan Lube
- Gerald Vinci
- Alvin Dinken - Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.The casual observer may mistake the viola for the violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range , and nearly identical playing position...
- Lou Kievman
- David Sterkin
- Stanley Harris
- Paul Robyn
- Barbara Simons
- Elizabeth Greenschpoon - Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument. The word derives from the Italian violoncello. A person who plays a cello is called a cellist. The cello is used as a solo instrument, in chamber music, and as a member of the string section of an orchestra...
- James Arkatov
- Armand Kaproff
- George Neikrug
- Dave Filerman
- Kurt Reher
- Katharine Julyie - Harp
A harp is a stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. As many other non-percussion instruments, it can also be used as a percussion instrument. All harps have a neck, resonator and strings. Some, known as frame harps, also have a forepillar;...
- Paul Smith
Paul Smith , also known as Paul T. Smith is a jazz pianist. He was born in San Diego, California and is often praised for his brilliant technique and lyrical playing. He has performed in various genres of jazz, most typically bebop...
- PianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Lou Levy
Louis A. Levy , generally known as Lou Levy, was a bebop-based pianist who worked with many top jazz artists, later coming to embrace the cool jazz medium and playing in that style as well .Levy was born to Jewish parents in Chicago and started playing piano when he was 12...
-- PianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert Ellis is an American jazz guitarist.-Biography:Growing up on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas, Ellis first heard the electric guitar performed by George Barnes on a radio program. This experience is said to have inspired him to take up the guitar...
- GuitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
- Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. He was a member of many prominent jazz groups as well as a "first call" guitarist for studio, film, and television recording sessions...
- Joe Comfort - Double bass
The double bass, also called the upright bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. The name, "double bass," derives from the early use of the instrument to double—an octave lower where possible—the bass part written...
- Ralph Pena
- Alvin Stoller
Alvin Stoller was an American jazz drummer. Though he seems to have been largely forgotten, he was held in high regard in the 1940s and 1950s...
- drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
- Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis was a drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents. His birth name was Melvin Sokoloff.-Biography:...
- Bill Richmond
- Frank Flynn - percussion
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration...
- Larry Bunker
Lawrence Benjamin "Larry" Bunker was an American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist. He also played timpani with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.-Biography:...
- Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American bandleader, arranger and orchestrator whose career spanned from the late 1940s, struggled with the advent of rock 'n' roll, and saw a career revival in the early 1980s...
- ArrangerIn investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, ConductorConducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. Orchestras, choirs, concert bands and other musical ensembles often have conductors.-Nomenclature:...