Ella Sings Broadway
Encyclopedia
Ella Sings Broadway is a 1963 (see 1963 in music
) studio album by the American jazz
singer Ella Fitzgerald
, with an orchestra arranged and conducted by the American bandleader Marty Paich. Ella had previously recorded with Paich and his more familiar Dek-tette on the 1957 album Ella Swings Lightly
, and was to record with him again on her 1967 album Whisper Not
. Shortly before the sessions for Ella Sings Broadway , Ella had recorded two singles with Marty Paich, the Antonio Carlos Jobim
song 'Desafinado' and a Bossa Nova
version of the jazz standard 'Stardust'.
This album is a fascinating musical departure for Ella in many senses. As the author David Hajdu comments in his liner notes for the 2001 reissue of Ella Sings Broadway , virtually every important singer of standards had recorded an album of musical-theatre songs, Sinatra
with My Kind of Broadway
and The Concert Sinatra
(an album often mistaken for a live recording), Sarah Vaughan
with Great Songs From Hit Shows and Doris Day
with Show Time .
These singers, especially Sinatra and Fitzgerald, had acquired a reputation of being consummate performers of the Great American Songbook
, a songbook which by and large had been written before the outbreak of the Second World War, and which had been aped in its popularity with youth by Rock and Roll
the time of the Vietnam War
. With many Gershwin, Porter
and Berlin
standards having been written in the 1920s and 1930s, whilst Sinatra and Fitzgerald were growing up.
On Ella Sings Broadway , Ella connects with the Broadway
songs of the previous decade and a half, vastly different in musical terms to the Great American Songbook
standards from 40 years previously.
The twelve songs are from eight musicals, being;
Awarded 4 stars by Down Beat
jazz magazine in 1963, the review commented that it was "A perfect complement to Fitzgerald's classic series of 'Song Book' albums".
Side One:
Side Two:
, Hollywood, Los Angeles
:
Tracks 1-12
Others Unknown.
1963 in music
-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles start a 5-day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".*January 4 – At Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes....
) studio album by the American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, with an orchestra arranged and conducted by the American bandleader Marty Paich. Ella had previously recorded with Paich and his more familiar Dek-tette on the 1957 album Ella Swings Lightly
Ella Swings Lightly
Ella Swings Lightly is a 1958 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded with the Marty Paich Dek-tette. Ella also worked with Marty Paich on her 1967 album Whisper Not...
, and was to record with him again on her 1967 album Whisper Not
Whisper Not
Whisper Not is a 1967 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with the Marty Paich Orchestra. Ella had previously recorded with Marty Paich and his more familiar Dek-tette on the 1957 album Ella Swings Lightly.Whisper Not is Ella's penultimate recording for the Verve label...
. Shortly before the sessions for Ella Sings Broadway , Ella had recorded two singles with Marty Paich, the Antonio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim , also known as Tom Jobim , was a Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist. He was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, and his songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within...
song 'Desafinado' and a Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli...
version of the jazz standard 'Stardust'.
This album is a fascinating musical departure for Ella in many senses. As the author David Hajdu comments in his liner notes for the 2001 reissue of Ella Sings Broadway , virtually every important singer of standards had recorded an album of musical-theatre songs, Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
with My Kind of Broadway
My Kind of Broadway
My Kind Of Broadway is a 1965 album by Frank Sinatra.The album is a collection of songs from various musicals, pieced together from various recording sessions over the previous four years....
and The Concert Sinatra
The Concert Sinatra
The Concert Sinatra is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1963.The title refers to the larger-than-normal orchestra Nelson Riddle gathered for this recording; it is not a documentation of a live performance. This was Frank Sinatra's most fulfilling album of his early Reprise...
(an album often mistaken for a live recording), Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
with Great Songs From Hit Shows and Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
with Show Time .
These singers, especially Sinatra and Fitzgerald, had acquired a reputation of being consummate performers of the Great American Songbook
Great American Songbook
The Great American Songbook is a hypothetical construct that seeks to represent the best American songs of the 20th century principally from Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musicals, from the 1920s to 1960, including dozens of songs of enduring popularity...
, a songbook which by and large had been written before the outbreak of the Second World War, and which had been aped in its popularity with youth by Rock and Roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
the time of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. With many Gershwin, Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
and Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
standards having been written in the 1920s and 1930s, whilst Sinatra and Fitzgerald were growing up.
On Ella Sings Broadway , Ella connects with the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
songs of the previous decade and a half, vastly different in musical terms to the Great American Songbook
Great American Songbook
The Great American Songbook is a hypothetical construct that seeks to represent the best American songs of the 20th century principally from Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musicals, from the 1920s to 1960, including dozens of songs of enduring popularity...
standards from 40 years previously.
The twelve songs are from eight musicals, being;
- "Warm All Over" and "Somebody SomewhereSomebody Somewhere (song)"Somebody Somewhere" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser. The song was published in 1956 as part of Loesser's musical The Most Happy Fella.-Recordings:*Doris Day, single, 1956*Jo Sullivan, Original cast recording of The Most Happy Fella, 1956...
" from Frank LoesserFrank LoesserFrank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
's The Most Happy FellaThe Most Happy FellaThe Most Happy Fella is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the play They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard...
(1956) - "If I Were a BellIf I Were a Bell"If I Were a Bell" is a song composed by Frank Loesser for his 1950 musical Guys and Dolls.-Guys and Dolls:In the show Guys and Dolls, it is sung by the character Sister Sarah, originally performed by Isabel Bigley on Broadway, and memorialized on the original cast album. On a bet, Sky Masterson...
" and "Guys and Dolls" from Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls (1950) - "Almost Like Being in LoveAlmost Like Being in Love"Almost Like Being in Love" is a popular song published in 1947. The music was written by Frederick Loewe, and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner....
" from Lerner and Lowe's Brigadoon (1947) - "I Could Have Danced All NightI Could Have Danced All Night"I Could Have Danced All Night" is a song from the musical My Fair Lady, with music written by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, published in 1956...
" and "Show Me" from Lerner and Lowe's My Fair LadyMy Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
(1956) - "No Other LoveNo Other Love (1953 song)"No Other Love" is a show tune from the 1953 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Me and Juliet.Richard Rodgers originally composed this tune for the NBC television series Victory at Sea...
" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Me and JulietMe and JulietMe and Juliet is a musical comedy by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and their sixth stage collaboration. The work tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage manager Larry woos chorus girl Jeanie behind the back of her electrician boyfriend, Bob...
(1953) - "Dites-Moi" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's South PacificSouth Pacific (musical)South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
(1949) - "Hernando's Hideaway" and "Steam Heat" from Adler and Ross's Pajama Game (1954)
- "Whatever Lola Wants" from Adler and Ross's Damn YankeesDamn YankeesDamn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
(1955)
Awarded 4 stars by Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
jazz magazine in 1963, the review commented that it was "A perfect complement to Fitzgerald's classic series of 'Song Book' albums".
Track listing
For the 1962 Verve LP release; Verve V6-4059; Re-issued in 2001 on CD, Verve 549 373-2Side One:
- "Hernando's HideawayHernando's Hideaway"Hernando's Hideaway" is a tango show tune from the musical The Pajama Game, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and published in 1954. The lyrics describe a dark and secretive nightclub....
" (Richard AdlerRichard AdlerRichard Adler is an American lyricist, composer and producer of several Broadway shows.-Biography:Born in New York City, Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a concert pianist. After serving in the Navy he began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950...
, Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born...
) – 3:17 - "If I Were a BellIf I Were a Bell"If I Were a Bell" is a song composed by Frank Loesser for his 1950 musical Guys and Dolls.-Guys and Dolls:In the show Guys and Dolls, it is sung by the character Sister Sarah, originally performed by Isabel Bigley on Broadway, and memorialized on the original cast album. On a bet, Sky Masterson...
" (Frank LoesserFrank LoesserFrank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
) – 2:22 - "Warm All Over" (Loesser) – 2:46
- "Almost Like Being in LoveAlmost Like Being in Love"Almost Like Being in Love" is a popular song published in 1947. The music was written by Frederick Loewe, and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner....
" (Alan Jay LernerAlan Jay LernerAlan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
, Frederick Loewe) – 3:02 - "Dites-Moi" (Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
) – 2:30 - "I Could Have Danced All NightI Could Have Danced All Night"I Could Have Danced All Night" is a song from the musical My Fair Lady, with music written by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, published in 1956...
" (Lerner, Loewe) – 2:22
Side Two:
- "Show Me" (Lerner, Loewe) – 2:22
- "No Other LoveNo Other Love (1953 song)"No Other Love" is a show tune from the 1953 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Me and Juliet.Richard Rodgers originally composed this tune for the NBC television series Victory at Sea...
" (Rodgers, Hammerstein) – 2:20 - "Steam HeatSteam Heat"Steam Heat" is a show tune from the 1954 musical The Pajama Game, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.The best-known recording was done by Patti Page...
" (Adler, Ross) – 3:27 - "Whatever Lola WantsWhatever Lola Wants"Whatever Lola Wants" is a popular song, sometimes rendered as "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". The music and words were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 musical play Damn Yankees. The song is sung by Lola, the Devil's assistant, a part originated by Gwen Verdon, who reprised...
" (Adler, Ross) – 3:13 - "Guys and Dolls" (Loesser) – 2:21
- "Somebody SomewhereSomebody Somewhere (song)"Somebody Somewhere" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser. The song was published in 1956 as part of Loesser's musical The Most Happy Fella.-Recordings:*Doris Day, single, 1956*Jo Sullivan, Original cast recording of The Most Happy Fella, 1956...
" (Loesser) – 3:12
Personnel
Recorded October 1–4, 1962 at Capitol StudiosCapitol Studios
The Capitol Studios complex opened in the Capitol Records Building, a futuristic new building in the heart of Hollywood, in 1956. It has since hosted some of the most treasured recordings in music history, from Frank Sinatra to the Beastie Boys. It is owned by Capitol Records whose parent company...
, Hollywood, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
:
- Val Valentin - Engineer
Tracks 1-12
- Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
- vocals - Marty PaichMarty PaichMartin Louis "Marty" Paich was an American pianist, composer, arranger, producer, music director and conductor....
- arranger, conductor
Others Unknown.