Verve originally released Ella Fitzgerald's Twelve Nights in Hollywood, drawn from performances at the Crescendo nightclub in 1961 and 1962, as a four-CD set in 2009. Now, the collection has been repackaged as two two-CD sets. On the third and fourth discs, Fitzgerald reveals herself as an engaged performer with a strong sense of communication with her audience. She takes requests, whether she can remember the lyrics or not. (It doesn't matter, since she can improvise good words or just scat.) She introduces ringside ...
Read More
Verve originally released Ella Fitzgerald's Twelve Nights in Hollywood, drawn from performances at the Crescendo nightclub in 1961 and 1962, as a four-CD set in 2009. Now, the collection has been repackaged as two two-CD sets. On the third and fourth discs, Fitzgerald reveals herself as an engaged performer with a strong sense of communication with her audience. She takes requests, whether she can remember the lyrics or not. (It doesn't matter, since she can improvise good words or just scat.) She introduces ringside celebrities including Walter Winchell and Carl Reiner. When she spots songwriter Mack David, she spontaneously decides to perform his song "Candy," noting, "I hope I don't mess it up. That's the only ones that sell these days." She is thinking of her recent Top 40 hit version of "Mack the Knife," on which she went up on the words to delightful effect. "You're Driving Me Crazy" has an appropriately crazy arrangement, with tempo shifts galore, while "How High the Moon" typically serves as a platform for the album's most ambitious scatting. She borrows from Billie Holiday's repertoire for "Good Morning Heartache," providing a good example of the contrast in their styles; in Fitzgerald's reading, there isn't much heartache, but it's a powerful musical performance. Toward the end, she takes up the then-current fad for twisting before finishing with two versions of "Bill Bailey," in which she sings impressions of Sophie Tucker, Della Reese, Pearl Bailey, Louis Armstrong, and Dinah Washington. In other words, these shows are anything but formal jazz sessions. Rather, they represent an entertainer dedicated to entertaining by any means at hand, who also happens to have the best vocal jazz chops in the business. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of Twelve Nights in Hollywood: Volumes 3 & 4 [2 Cd] to cart. $3.30, good condition, Sold by HPB-Red rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Verve Records.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Twelve Nights in Hollywood: Volumes 3 & 4 [2 Cd] to cart. $6.49, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Verve Records.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Twelve Nights in Hollywood, Vols. 3-4 to cart. $71.76, new condition, Sold by Entertainment by Post - UK rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from BRISTOL, SOUTH GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2011 by Verve.
![Twelve Nights in Hollywood: Volumes 3 & 4 [2 Cd]](https://www1.alibris-static.com/cover/p22420v2gp0_t.jpg)
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.