The Concert Years

• Artist: Ella Fitzgerald
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 21, 1994
• Total Time: 288:11
• Type: Compilation (best of), Live
• Genre: Vocal Music

Review

On this four-CD set are some of Ella Fitzgerald's finest live performances during the years she was managed by Norman Granz. All of the material (which is taken from ten different performances in 1953, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1983) was previously released on various Pablo albums. Since this is a best-of collection and was lovingly put together by the knowledgeable producer Eric Miller, the music is consistently rewarding and emphasizes the interpretive skills, scatting and jazz phrasing of the First Lady of Song. Although mostly backed by her trio/quartets of the period, Ella does get to jam "Perdido" with the 1953 JATP All-Stars, is backed by the Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras on some songs and revisits "Flying Home" with an all-star group in 1983. The most remarkable performance is 1972's "C Jam Blues" which features Ella trading off remarkable musical jokes with Al Grey, Stan Getz, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Roy Eldridge. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
On the Sunny Side of the Street (Lyrics)	Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields	Ella Fitzgerald	(1:58)
Body and Soul (Lyrics)	Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:07)
Why Don't You Do Right?	Joe McCoy	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:19)
Oh, Lady Be Good	George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:56)
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)	Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:35)
How High the Moon (Lyrics)	Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:10)
My Funny Valentine (Lyrics)	Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:50)
Smooth Sailing	Arnett Cobb	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:52)
The Frim Fram Sauce	Redd Evans, Joe Ricardel	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:10)
Perdido	Ervin Drake, Juan Tizol, H.J. Lengsfelder	Ella Fitzgerald	(6:14)
Imagine My Frustration	Gerald Wilson, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:43)
Duke's Place (Lyrics)	Duke Ellington, Bob Katz, Bob Thiele	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:32)
Satin Doll (Lyrics)	Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:44)
Something to Live For (Lyrics)	Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:21)
So Danço Samba (Jazz Samba)	Vinícius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel, Antonio Carlos Jobim	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:35)
Don't Be That Way (Lyrics)	Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, Mitchell Parish	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:03)
You've Changed (Lyrics)	Bill Carey, Carl Fischer	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:07)
Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)	Cole Porter	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:22)
On the Sunny Side of the Street (Lyrics)	Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:03)
Cotton Tail (Lyrics)	Duke Ellington	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:10)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Night and Day (Lyrics)	Cole Porter	Ella Fitzgerald	(6:48)
The Many Faces of Cole Porter: Get Out of Town/Easy to Love/You Do ...	Cole Porter	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:24)
The Ballad Medley: Body and Soul/The Man I Love/I Loves You Porgy	George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Dubose Heyward, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:44)
The Bossa Scene: The Girl From Ipanema/Fly Me to the Moon/O Nosso Amor ...	Ivan Lins, Vinícius de Moraes, Bart Howard, Norman Gimbel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ronaldo Monteiro de Souza, Traditional	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:37)
They Can't Take That Away from Me	George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:14)
St. Louis Blues (Lyrics)	W.C. Handy	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:01)
Love	Bert Kaempfert, Milt Gabler	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:22)
Begin the Beguine (Lyrics)	Cole Porter	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:12)
Indian Summer	Victor Herbert, Al Dubin	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:24)
You've Got a Friend	Carole King	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:02)
Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most	Tommy Wolf, Fran Landesman	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:57)
Madalena	Ivan Lins, Ronaldo Monteiro de Souza	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:28)
Shiny Stockings (Lyrics)	Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Foster	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:30)
I Can't Stop Loving You	Chick Webb, Tom Jones	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:20)
C Jam Blues	Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington	Ella Fitzgerald	(10:50)

CD 3

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Sweet Georgia Brown (Lyrics)	Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard, Kenneth Casey	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:15)
They Can't Take That Away from Me	George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:41)
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (Lyrics)	Cole Porter	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:52)
The Man I Love	George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin	Ella Fitzgerald	(8:22)
It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)	Irving Mills, Duke Ellington	Ella Fitzgerald	(7:21)
Lemon Drop	George Wallington	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:47)
The Very Thought of You	Ray Noble	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:14)
Happy Blues	Ella Fitzgerald	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:56)
Caravan (Lyrics)	Irving Mills, Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:19)
Satin Doll (Lyrics)	Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:37)
Teach Me Tonight (Lyrics)	Sammy Cahn, Gene DePaul	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:27)
Wave	Antonio Carlos Jobim	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:01)
It's All Right With Me (Lyrics)	Cole Porter	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:48)
How High the Moon (Lyrics)	Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis	Ella Fitzgerald	(7:18)
'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do	Percy Grainger, Clarence Williams, Robert Prince	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:42)

CD 4

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Too Close for Comfort	Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, Larry Holofcener	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:25)
I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues (Lyrics)	Duke Ellington, Don George	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:06)
Day by Day	Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston	Ella Fitzgerald	(1:46)
Ordinary Fool	Paul Williams	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:15)
Billie's Bounce	Charlie Parker	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:44)
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone	Sam H. Stept, Sidney Clare	Ella Fitzgerald	(1:46)
Make Me Rainbows (Lyrics)	Alan Bergman, Johnny Williams	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:12)
After You've Gone (Lyrics)	Henry Creamer, Turner Layton	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:34)
'Round Midnight (Lyrics)	Cootie Williams, Thelonious Monk, Bernie Hanighen	Ella Fitzgerald	(4:21)
You've Changed (Lyrics)	Bill Carey, Carl Fischer	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:04)
Basella	Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald	Ella Fitzgerald	(10:00)
Manteca	Gil Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:30)
Willow Weep for Me	Ann Ronell	Ella Fitzgerald	(5:17)
All of Me (Lyrics)	Seymour Simons, Gerald Marks	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:34)
Blue Moon (Lyrics)	Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:58)
Night and Day (Lyrics)	Cole Porter	Ella Fitzgerald	(3:37)
Flying Home	Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Sydney Robin	Ella Fitzgerald	(8:38)

Credits

Cat Anderson (Trumpet), Count Basie (Piano), Louie Bellson (Drums), Harry "Sweets" Edison (Trumpet), Roy Eldridge (Trumpet), Mercer Ellington (Trumpet), Herb Ellis (Guitar (Acoustic)), Herb Ellis (Guitar), Ella Fitzgerald (Vocals), Ella Fitzgerald (Main Performer), Tommy Flanagan (Piano), Jimmy Forrest (Saxophone), Jimmy Forrest (Sax (Alto)), Stan Getz (Sax (Tenor)), Paul Gonsalves (Saxophone), Paul Gonsalves (Sax (Alto)), Freddie Green (Guitar (Acoustic)), Freddie Green (Guitar), Al Grey (Trombone), Bill Harris (Trombone), Johnny Hodges (Saxophone), Johnny Hodges (Sax (Alto)), Pete Minger (Trumpet), Joe Pass (Guitar (Acoustic)), Joe Pass (Guitar), Curtis Peagler (Saxophone), Curtis Peagler (Sax (Alto)), Oscar Peterson (Piano), Flip Phillips (Sax (Tenor)), Paul Smith (Piano), Willie Smith (Sax (Alto)), Ben Webster (Sax (Tenor)), Charlie Shavers (Trumpet), Cootie Williams (Trumpet), Lawrence Brown (Trombone), Rufus "Speedy" Jones (Drums), Ed Thigpen (Drums), Russell Procope (Saxophone), Russell Procope (Sax (Alto)), Chuck Connors (Trombone), Bob Cranshaw (Bass), Angel Balestier (Engineer), Benny Carter (Sax (Alto)), Keter Betts (Bass), Norman Granz (Producer), Ray Brown (Bass), Ray Brown (Trumpet), Harry Carney (Saxophone), Harry Carney (Sax (Alto)), Clark Terry (Trumpet), Paul Cohen (Trumpet), Joe Comfort (Bass), Buster Cooper (Trombone), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (Sax (Tenor)), Frank DeLaRosa (Bass), Phil DeLancie (Remixing), Eric Dixon (Trombone), Eric Dixon (Saxophone), Eric Dixon (Sax (Alto)), Duke Ellington (Piano), Charlie Fowlkes (Saxophone), Charlie Fowlkes (Sax (Alto)), Jimmy Hamilton (Saxophone), Jimmy Hamilton (Sax (Alto)), J.C. Heard (Drums), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (Bass), Kenny Hing (Saxophone), Bill Hughes (Trombone), J.J. Johnson (Trombone), Gus Johnson (Drums), Herb Jones (Trumpet), Jimmy Jones (Piano), John Lamb (Bass), David Luke (Editing), David Luke (Remixing), David Luke (Digital Transfers), Bobby Plater (Saxophone), Bobby Plater (Sax (Alto)), Waymon Reed (Trumpet), Dave Richards (Engineer), Mickey Roker (Drums), Zoot Sims (Sax (Tenor)), Tom Size (Remixing), Ray Tunia (Piano), Danny Turner (Saxophone), Danny Turner (Sax (Alto)), Val Valentin (Engineer), Mel Wanzo (Trombone), John Williams (Trombone), Dennis Wilson (Trombone), Sam Woodyard (Drums), George Cohen (Trumpet), Bub Hooks (Saxophone), Mitchell Wood (Trombone), John Williams (Trombone), Phil Carroll (Art Direction), Joe Tarantino (Engineer), Duke Ellington Orchestra (Orchestra), Count Basie Orchestra (Orchestra), Chuck Conners (Trombone), Bobby Durham (Drums), Eric Miller (Producer), Eric Miller (Remixing), Eric Miller (Compilation Producer), John Timperly (Engineer), Benny Green (Liner Notes)