LOVE LETTERS FROM ELLA - ELLA FITZGERALD
Love songs from jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald are a very good idea, especially when the tracks were previously unreleased, as is the case here. We hear Fitzgerald in the company of Count Basie and his Orchestra (”Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone”) and the London Symphony Orchestra (”Cry Me a River,” “My Old Flame” and “Take Love Easy”), as well as with guitarist Joe Pass on the gloriously minimal “The One I Love.” She also takes a turn with pianist Andre Previn on “Our Love Is Here to Stay,” highlighted by her particular flair for scat singing. This is a charming album, presenting Fitzgerald in fine voice and backed on most numbers by orchestral arrangements. (Concord)
