The Gershwin Songbook

Beautiful.

As expected, Ella was fantastic on this album! Classic songs from top to bottom that were all amazing! (Listened to the highlights version, not whole three hours)

I love her voice! It’s so calming. Completely enjoyed every song

Long.

Super! So comforting and easy to relax to.

M'ha agradat descbrir-lo!

☆☆☆☆☆

Ella is always A+

I don't event know if I listened to the right album, but I listened to 3h of Ella Fitzgerald. So good... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzNbt6Ufcv4

Perfect from start to finish

Amazing

Crackerjack!

Just so so beautiful. Will be buying this vinyl ASAP!

l. 12/26-28 Masterpiece. Standout Tracks... A lot. Best of? Let's Call The Whole Thing Off, (I've Got) Beginner's Luck, Just Another Rhumba, By Strauss It goes on. Truly great.

Doesn’t get much more classic than this. Not something that I would put on regularly, but Ella’s voice is amazing and she is a great interpreter of songs, s it was a nice listen.

For a three hour long album, don't got a lot to say other than that it's really good. Three hours of Fallout-core isn't a bad thing in my book. But yeah, it very much is vibe music for me. Can't pick out specific songs I like when it all blends together, especially at that length. Just sit back, listen, and vibe.

long album, butt i fw

Absolute colossus of an album. Not gonna call it a compilation, since neither Wikipedia nor MusicBrainz considers it as one. And as far as I can tell, all of the songs were recorded in the same exact year, so that's not really "compilation" material to me. Despite its sheer size, I quite enjoyed the listen. Never a bad moment. But the fact that it's three hours does kinda water it down, making individual tracks that much less special. It's also pretty hard to listen in one sitting. And while I did like it, it's perhaps not my favourite kind of jazz. Hence I'd still edge towards 4/5 instead of 5/5.

its fire and all but i cant get myself to listen to all 60 songs so im going to use my past listening experiences with this lady

A really fantastic showcase for both Ella Fitzgerald as well as for George and Ira Gershwin's songwriting. Sure it's a mammoth collection of songs but it's such a wonderful, rich listening experience (and one that's easy enough to break into more manageable chunks).

what a monster of an album, took me the whole weekend to listen to. i love fitzgerald and gershwin both and each song sounds good individually but all together it does get pretty repetitive. i think i'd rather pick songs off of it into a playlist than sit down with the album itself, which is rare for me. still giving it a 4/5

i unfortunately do not have the time this evening to listen to this entire masterpiece. but boy do i plan to make the time! ella is a star! banger after banger after banger. fave tracks: i've got rhythm but not for me

Very long album, but Ella is iconic

Well, I love listening to this old music. There’s definitely a time and a place for it. I paused the project so I wouldn’t have to rush through this. I listened to sections of it while at the lake at Minnesota, and the vibe there worked. This will always remind me of the time there, so that’s a good thing.

Not really into show tunes but can't deny this was worth listening to.

Took me about 3 days but still really good

leider nicht fertig gehört, aber swinging und cute

Classic Vocal Jazz. Complete and very good.

A delight, full of whimsy, innocence and cleverness. I knew many more of these songs than I thought I would. I absolutely love the ‘introductory verse’ as a song element. I couldn’t get through the whole album in one shot, but these songs more often than not put a smile on my face.

great vibe, amaing voice, good storytelling. Way too long

Ella Fitzgerald invented love I think. Amazing jazz, and a beautiful singer. I felt like I was in a black and white film during a dance scene.

Absolutely lovely. Some very fun songs on here however took me 3 days to listen to it due to the length

Ella's magnum opus. A warm bath of timeless classics sung with unmatched soul. It's an indulgent affair; a little too long perhaps.. I broke it down into multiple listening sessions. Love it for the performances, but Christ almighty it's long. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - But Not for Me - 'S Wonderful - Someone to Watch Over Me - Love Is Here To Stay

Talk about the OG crooner!!! The voice behind so many songs I hear in TV shows and movies but had no idea who it was (Ella!) till now!

Alright I shouldn't be caught off guard by something as culturally critical as this but it's stunning and perfect even though this is not my wheelhouse. The quality of the recording is very good. Things are looking up.

Ella did a lot of “songbook” albums in her career, and this one is considered perhaps the best. After hearing this I feel like I just watched a Broadway show, although I’m unclear what the story was about. The Nelson Riddle orchestra did a nice job providing the background music. The release that I listened to was a six disc set, with disc six just the orchestra. Ella never was a favorite of mine, but this album deserves a good rating because of its lyrical, singing, and orchestral arrangements.

Turns out the Gershwin songbook is longer than "War and Peace." Love the voice; this probably should be four stars for execution, but I appreciate it without loving it.

4 discs is “too much chocolate cake”. The performer and artist are both among the greatest ever, but consuming too much of the same thing, the dense puns and wordplay and the same harmonic vibe, it’s hard to keep paying attention.

Amazing voice

Beautiful and mesmerising to listen to. I'm so happy

- Good to listen to, a really magnificent voice - Some songs are fun and feel quite modern

3 hours huh? Gonna have to review this one disk at a time. Disk 1: Pretty good. I like this kind of music, it's very soothing and I feel distinguished listening to it xD. I really enjoyed 'Let's call the whole thing off'. One thing I'm sure will be an issue for me going forward: variety. Instrumentation, voice, and melodies are top notch, but you can only take so much before it either bleeds together or becomes insufferable. Feels more like background music to me. Disk 2: This side is more soothing than the last. Still enjoying listening to it! "They All Laughed" stood out to me. Disk 3: I've become numb to this music, it doesn't affect me. Disk 4: When the album finishes, the sound of silence will feel louder than Ella's voice. It's as if Ella Fitzgerald was there when I was born, interpreting the Gershwin Songbook starting from my first breath. Also, the meaning of "Love is Sweeping the Country" changes a lot with a more modern interpretation of the word 'gay'. Disk 5: Great interpretation of "They can't take that away from me". It's almost over but please kill me quickly. Disk 6: What the fuck is this shit? I wish I was listening to Ella Fitzgerald.

Ella Fitzgerald has a great voice and she suits these songs incredibly well. I also don't mind long albums. However, this could have been shorter

Chill

A beautiful voice that wonderfully carries show tunes from decades ago. The soft horns, smooth drums, and elegant piano all add to the finesse this album brings. Although not my usual playlist, this was an excellent listen.

Let me start by saying that I did not listen to the 3hr/6 disc version of this bc there is literally no reality where I would do that shit. Any of yall who attempted the full one, I am in awe. But also have questions...bc I know you're lying. In any event, the "Best Of" version which was 45 min was really beautiful. Voice like silk. Still holds up. I would've loved an extra up tempo Gershwin number on here but it's fair to say that Ella is at her best when she is yearning or brooding. Highlights: But Not For Me, They Can't Take That Away From Me

Made it through 3/6 discs on the day. But countless other hours listening to her. 3 hours 15 is a lot for one day, but her voice is so endlessly listenable.

Pretty good but unfortunately can get pretty repetitive due to it's length (it's over 3hrs if I'm not mistaken) but Fitzgerald's vocals are absolutely amazing so it's still pretty enjoyable throughout. I'd give it a 71/100 to be exact

wow, what a voice 4/5.

3+ hours is a lot. I get that this is supposed to go through the full songbook here, and there’s lots of great songs…but as a whole it can feel like a burden to go through. That being said, Ella has such a beautiful voice and paired with the instrumentals it creates an overall relaxing and enjoyable listen. Likes: there’s 59 songs total…I can’t remember the various likes throughout

This compilation definitely wasn't meant to be listened in one sitting, of course. So yesterday and today I've put it on my speakers on and off while cleaning, doing dishes, cooking, and reading. I feel like if I tried to just listen to the three hours of it and be done with it I would've done it a big disservice. It was wonderful, both Ella's vocals and the compositions... makes you feel like you're in love. I'm going to try to find the vinyl for my collection.

Such an incredible vibe from the start, jazzy, groovy, gentle pitch, everything I like in jazz!! I love track 4 on Disc 1, it's a subtle and fun way to portray different accents and cultural significance relying on language, and not just black American accents from different regions. The songs may be short, which is quite unusual for an older album and disc set, but again, each song has either a groovy or ethereal and magical vibe to it, which makes you want to listen to the rest of the album! Disc 2 seems to give more in love jazz vibes, which still keeps its catchy side. She seems to be very liberal for the youth's side, especially with track 6, where she talks about how in the 50's music , you can't keep still and have to express yourself, because the industry changed and somehow they start liking more and more nonsense, which comes back to appropriation and white Americans having no background whatsoever. Track 9 talks about how innovative thoughts or facts are dismantled and discredited because they seem out of pocket, but those famous innovators do not need the approval of critics to be seen as true and based in reality! (Milwaukee is a city in Wisconsin). Disc 3 is more summer vibes, with ethereal sunshine vibes in a wide open valley. Some of the love songs are very yearning, but not in the sense that she's desperate for a man, but there is reciprocal feeling that is also yearning from the partner. In track 5, she actually educates 'boys' how to treat women and provide the bare minimum. In Disc 4, there is this sense of almost loneliness, as if she is finding herself and certain waves or periods are hitting hard again.

замечательный альбом с джазом. если бы у меня было кафе, эта музыка там играла бы 25/8

I can listen to that in the background while doing anything, great focusing music

There aren’t many artists that I would actually spend 3 hours listening to but I enjoyed it all the way through and there are some really incredible songs in here. 4.5/5

I’m a big fan of Ella so this was great for me.

this album is fabulous and makes you want to dance, i think it would be perfect for the next time i'm cooking an extremely elaborate hands-on dinner for my guest that will take me 3 hours (loooong album), sipping on some wine. This album would make the time fly by

classics are classics for a reason!

to be fair I didn't listen to the whole thing because I couldn't find it and also I was busy. but I've heard this stuff before

Maybe one of my favourite genres, and Ella's voice is just angelic, perfect music to have in the background while completing an assignment I have to take one star off because of the length, 3 hours is insane!!

All great sings. Perfect voice. Not a big fan of the brass blasts in that era of music. I prefer the songs with mostly string accompaniment.

Warm vibe

Pre Listen: Ah, Ella Fitzgerald. Back when I was first really getting into exploring my musical tastes, the first genres I found I adored were Big Band, Swing, and Jazz. Resulting I became well acquainted with Ella's work pretty early into my life, and while I don't believe I have any songs from this collection on my playlist, I'm sure I'll enjoy this music. Disclaimer, due to the length of the full collection, I decided to only listen to Volumes 1 and 2. Notable Tracks: They All Laughed | They Can't Take That Away From Me - Both songs are tied for 2nd place as my favorite songs. Energetic rhythms that I can hum along to. Would be fun to sing along to as well, if I took the time to learn the lyrics. Clap Yo' Hands - My least favorite track in the first half of the collection. It sounds fine, but it's really missing a lot of the poetic lyricism in much of Ella's work. Fun song, just feels out of place amongst the rest. For You, For Me, For Evermore - My favorite song on the collection. This song just strums the right heart strings for me. Maybe it's the soft guitar at the start, leading into a more dreamy swing with the rest of the band. It gives me that rosy feeling of nostalgia more than any other track on here. Post Listen: Ella Fitzgerald has been celebrated to the moon and back from her incredibly expansive works. Her voice is absolutely Golden, and the Big Bands she often worked with compliment her talent incredibly well. They all elicit images of a romantic past from a bygone time, where things were a bit classier, and life was brighter. Of course such a time is only fantasy, and looking in to the true stories from Ella's career shatter those nostalgia goggles. It's nice to pretend things were perfect once upon a time though, and this album transports you to such a fantasy with ease. Love ya Ella. 4/5

Reflection on relationships and other themes. Old-timey, cosy melody, with whimsical vibes at times. Like her voice and the brass instrument(s). Also like the wordplays.

It's Ella, so you can't go wrong with the music. My only complaint would be that this is a 6-disc set and is over 3 hours in length.

Very lovely throughout, even if quite a few songs feel redundant. Not everything is a winner but it's hard to argue with Ella Fitzgerald's voice or Nelson Riddle's arrangements. Favorite tracks: "Looking For a Boy," "I've Got Rhythm," "Aren't You Kind of Glad We Did?"

I didn't listen to all of this - it is very good but several hours of it would do my head in.

2026.05.17

I listened to this whole thing over the course of a few days and NOT at one time. And it's really great and solid all the way through and I'm glad I listened!

lovely. amo a ella, y la portada me recuerda mucho a mi forma de dibujar y me encantó eso. muy cabaret tambien!

Beautiful voice. Just a little old fashioned for me.

Hey, you know what? Ella Fitzgerald? Very good singer. And the Gershwins? Very good songwriters. What's not to love? I mean, I suppose you could criticize the run time, but in this particular case, I don't think it's a valid criticism. The length isn't a matter of self-indulgence, but rather, a matter of completeness. Without a doubt, this album is included as a representation of some of the greatest American music ever made, rather than as an album itself, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

I really enjoyed this. Ella Gitzgerald’s voice is beautiful to listen to and did justice to every song here. I did have to listen to this across a few days though because it’s so very long. Even as a jazz lover I don’t think this is an easy album to sit down and listen to cover to cover. That doesn’t mean it isn’t an incredible accomplishment though.

The album was great, but I honestly could listen carefully to the first disc, the rest was a blur.

Disproportionately long album compared to many others but it is good the whole way through. I spent time to learn about the Gershwin brothers and appreciate the kind of playful and romantic lyrics Ira was coming up with as well as the classical optimistic musical style of George. Ella herself is undeniably great, she commands without being forceful, it would have been cool to see her live. Its a commitment to make it from beginning to end especially if you want more musical variety on the whole but I'm glad I did. There are lots of highlights throughout. Disc 1 Lets Call the Whole Thing Off, Oh Lady Be Good Disc 2 'S Wonderful, By Strauss, The Real American Folk Song, They All Laughed Disc 3 Clap Yo' Hands, Boy Wanted, Strike Up The Band Disc 4 I Was Doing Alright, He Loves and She Loves, Slap That Bass Disc 5 I Can't Be Bothered Now, Fascinating Rhythm, I Got Rhythm Disc 6 All 3 Preludes

This album is a problem for the list for obvious reasons- few of us have time to listen to a 3+ hour entry. And it’s not intended to be listened to in a sitting.

This is ridiculous. 194 minutes of Ella Fitzgerald singing Gershwin tunes? This has to be an exception. How can anyone be expected to finish this in one day and have enough time for thoughtful commentary? She’s amazing, Gershwin is one of the best composers to ever live, every one of these songs rips, but give me a break man. This goes against my covers rule, my comp rule, whatever. I think it’s fair to put this thing on shuffle, let it run for an hour, and report how you feel.

A smirk and a wink from a woman hopelessly out of your league. 4.5/5

Genial este disco. Me encanta ella y el sonido.

Ella has a voice for the ages and the Gershwin songbook is impeccable. Putting them together produces something pretty sublime but 3 hours of it is still a little much.

not something i usually listen to but i did enjoy it. I loved it especially for when i did my chores. It made me feel like im in a movie

Great

3 hours of Ella - my cup runneth over

Ella's a gem but I am not listening to FIVE discs

Llevo escuchado 3/6 discos so far y me encantan. Ella tiene de las mejores voces que existieron en la historia de la música. Simplemente magnífica, una voz fuerte pero aterciopelada que acompañan con firmeza y dulzura las canciones. Los conceptos de amor, esperanza y el andar por el mundo están impresos hermosamente en cada una de las letras de las canciones. Y el jazz, cada uno de los instrumentos es protagonista a la vez creando un conjunto excepcional. Bueno ya terminé con el álbum, es de 1959, Ella Fitzgerald cantando las canciones del cancionero de George y Ira Gershwin. Ya hablé de las letras que me gustaron mucho pero la verdad Ella es la cantante que les da verdadera vida y magia. All in all me gustó mucho. Guardé varias canciones pero mis favoritas son "Boy Wanted", "Somebody From Somewhere", "(I've Got) Beginner's Luck)" y "Lorelei".

El segundo disco no me gustó, pero los otros dos sip 🙂‍↕️

a mí papá le gusta decir que ella puede cantar lo que sea. acá hay tres horas de prueba

*Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book* Really good... But also reeeeeeeeeally long. I think if this wasn't so exhausted I probably would get it to either a high four maybe even a four and a half Stars. There are some really good versions on here and even some that even evoked some of Nelson Riddle's arrangements with Sinatra. Ella Fitzgerald is on absolute fire throughout the project. I guess all in all this just feels more like a museum project, especially with the length. I'm not sure how I feel about it as an album. I'm pretty sure at the time this would have felt a lot like dropping the needle on the Bruce Springsteen five albums live box set. But here's some 70 years later it doesn't translate. But it is still a self-stellar set. (8.33) ★★★★

wo w

If I have to listen to anything for three-and-a-quarter hours, I'm glad it's Ella Fitzgerald. Hard to stay fully engaged throughout but ones that caught my attention, in order of appearance: 'They All Laughed', 'Of Thee I Sing', 'The Half Of It Dearie Blues', 'I Got Rhythm', 'Promenade (Walking The Dog)', 'March Of The Swiss Soldiers', 'Fidgety Feet'

It was an absurd listen and the weirdest thing I did in this game. Somehow, it worked for me today. It shouldn't be here. It's not an album. But its a valuable and historic collection of songs delivered by the best person to do the job. So I'm baffled and confused But can't give this one less than a 4. I can't belive I listened to 3:30 hours of this today I hope you don't have the Cole porter songbook in here aswell. See you tomorrow Long live Ella Fitzgerald, the best to ever do it.

Listened to this at home with Ryan after work. Really nice and chill. Ryan enjoyed it.

Projet titanesque.

6 disques! Ça prend beaucoup de sfamina! J'avoue que j'ai arrêté au milieu du 4e. Je me demande vraiment qui se procurait ça, 6 vinyles comme ça, dans les années 50, c'est assez niché. Bons arrangements, instrumentation big band typique de ces années. 4 étoiles pour la forme, une entreprise colossale surmontée en 8 mois d'enregistrement, bravo à Ella et son équipe !

ayo cool smooth jazz

Ella has one of the greatest voices ever.

Fun Lovely voice Beautiful lyrics Interesting sounds

Listening to that album make me feel like taking a train ride somewhere anywhere just me, book and an empty seat beside me

love her

Classic songs!

I listened to the wrong one but it was great. This one is just way too long so I’m carrying on and rating the one I listened to by accident.

Didn’t listen to the entire runtime, but Ella can probably take anyone’s discography and make it sound beautiful.

definitely not my favourite of ella’s work (bit too folklore story time for me) but her voice is transcendent. somehow it is both light and airy yet rich and dense. she knows how to sing about love like no one else <3

What a great listen. I was really dreading it beforehand, given its enormous length. But Ella's voice is something I hardly could get enough of. The only thing detracting from this is the instrumental part, this wasn't really necessary on an already pretty long album. 4/5

Let no one tell you I'm not dedicated to this project lol 3 hours!!! I love Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

Obviously too long blah blah, I’ll ignore that. Indisputably great songs, with witty original lyrics and elegiac melodies. Ella has one of the great voices, and is perfectly matched to these songs of which she creates arguably definitive versions. Vocal jazz is not typically my style but this is pretty great

Ella siendo Ella, maravilloso!! Pero 4 estrellas solo porque mi favorito de ella es otro y para mí es inigualable.

Classic songs and legendary vocalist, but six disks? I did the first two then was done. Can't hate on Ella even if not all the classic musical soundtrack hit right.

Enjoyed it but didn't get through all 5 discs. Will have to revisit.

I agree with Ian - great background music, but too long! A few good sing-a-long tracks, I love her voice and much prefer this album where its just her singing and not Louis Armstrong!

Very long. I especially like "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", "(I've Got) Beginner's Luck", and "The Real American Folk Song." The rest kind of blend together, good but not individually memorable. If I could do 3.5 stars I probably would

Not my favorite songbook record but great overall

Good.

Great songs sung incredibly well... and they all kind of sound the same.

Unmistakable, and unforgettable is how I would describe Ella Fitzgeralds singing voice. Wonderful early morning coffee album

This was thoroughly enjoyable listening but the length makes it tricky to rate as a whole album. Made for a delightful evening tho! Disc 6 not my fave, nelson i dont really know what you were doing here bud.

So I don’t think it’s very controversial to assume that Ella Fitzgerald is just the best singer of all time and also these Gershwin fellas really seem to know what they’re doing and it combines into a really nice time!

Hasta ahora, lo que voy escuchando del disco, me sorprendió grata mente

Classic from the great American Songbook done by one of the best!

Pitkä setti, kaunista laulua ja sopii huolelliseen kuunteluun mutta menee myös työpäivän rauhallisena taustamusiikkina kirjoitushommissa.

I’m not sure what I could write about such an impressive endeavour. Its historical significance cannot be denied ; Ella Fitzgerald might be the greatest jazz singer in the history of the genre - no one can realistically dispute her talent, and she’s clearly at her best here. It’s hard to find anything bad to say about this record. Overall I like it very much - highly enjoyable and sophisticated songs, carried by a perfect voice. As much as I like Ella, however, I’ve never been able to fully appreciate the Gershwins. Their approach to jazz is often too close to a Broadway musical for my taste, in the sense that it’s clearly music made to be enjoyed in a theatre or a club rather than at home. It’s also a bit too restrained and light-hearted – which is not a bad thing in itself, but I do like my jazz with a touch of fire and delirium. Instead, Gershwin treats jazz like classical music : with clinical precision but little to no place for improvisation. In addition, I’m not entirely sure this should be here. This record far exceeds the album format, not only in length, but also conceptually. Although it was recorded for a single release, it’s still a compilation of compositions, which I thought was not allowed on the list. Just like classical music, it’s also characterized by the meeting of a composer (or two, in this case), a singer and an orchestra. If this can be on the list, why not also include classical operas ? This is really a borderline case ; but I guess the border has to be somewhere. It’s a gorgeous record, but I cannot honestly give a 5*, mostly because it doesn’t really work as an album. I’ll listen again, but certainly not in full so as to avoid overdose. 8/10

There are really three different things going on in this record: Gershwins, big-band jazz, and Ella Fitzgerald. The Gershwins are of course famous for writing a huge amount of the memorable "pop" music from the 20s and 30s. The big band on this record is stellar and the recording is amazing. And Ella is simply wonderful. Even though this is a lot of music in one place, you could start anywhere in any of the three non-outtake discs and be into it. Catchy and impeccably arranged songs and beautiful instrumental and vocal performances make it hard to dislike anything here really, as long as you like light jazz and show tunes and sometimes even if you don't. A time machine trip back to the early/mid 20th century.

That’s a big ole album. I worked from home today and had it playing in the background. Felt good. See you again soon Ella, Ira and Georgey boy.

Well, today is day 900 of the album project and I've gotten the longest album of the entire list. It's a good thing I already listened to this over a year ago so I don't have to do this all in one sitting. Here's my review from September 2024. I did it. It took 3 days, but I did it. Of course, I listened to this on my own time before it was given to me by the generator, but I still listened to all 3 hours and 14 minutes of Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book. If you somehow have stumbled upon this review before getting this album from the generator, please listen to my advice and do what I did. Take some vacation time. Ideally you should have three days of time. Or perhaps, if you have the opportunity to, do this during a three day weekend. Anyways, let’s move on from the absolute size of this thing and talk about the quality. It’s some good stuff. I like Ella Fitzgerald’s voice. It’s nice and nostalgic. The instrumental sound is pretty good. It’s pleasant to listen to. The writing is solid. The Gershwins were definitely talented music writers. Of course, this album is not without faults. I know I said I would move on from the length, but I have to make the point of this album being long and somewhat repetitive. It definitely serves better as background noise than something you focus on for three whole hours, even if you do it in sections like I did. Overall, this is a huge collection of music right here that actually happens to be part of an even bigger collection of music including other song books that Ella Fitzgerald sang too. The contents of this album could be more varied, but still serves as a respectable piece of music that deserves to be listened to for a long time. Light 4/5.

Надо переслушать потом

It's Ella singing with a big band some of America's best songs of the time.

Molto Tom e Jerryy. Non è male, niente di incredibile però; è musica da sottofondo. Poi è infinito.

Beautiful journey, but I can't lie, it was a little too long

Longer and not always my jam but this was amazing

great voice, mellow

I never heard Ella Fitzgerald conciously before. I liked it.

Whew, I kind of wish we got the 3 hour one for the weekend. Six discs is a lot, but I like Ella Fitzgerald and it made for perfect background music while I was replaying Fallout 3.

ella fitzgerald is a legend, album long af

Very smooth, calm vocal jazz album. It is very long though, and all of the songs are performed in similar ways.

I mean... this is classic for sure. But to call a 5-disc suite an "album" is going a bit far.

I was a little taken aback when this was my first album given since it’s a compilation album. Ella Fitzgerald has a beautiful voice with a lot of emotion to it. Made me feel nostalgic for a time I didn’t live in.

Such an incredible voice. I hadn't heard a lot of these tunes.

Wow, what a marathon. Ella's voice is beautiful and timeless. Many classics to choose from, but the challenge comes in trying to rate this as an album on the whole. The quality of the music is outstanding, but the quantity is a challenge. While I could definitely see myself listening to 45 minutes to an hour of the highlights, I can't see listening to the whole album front to back again as it gets to be a lot of the same sound.

Compilations are not albums, So I'm reluctant to rate this. However, Ella shines through all 3 hours...

Great music, very relaxing. Not my genre, but I enjoyed listening.

Super album, 4/5

I only listened to the shorter version, with 12 tracks, which was a really nice experience. Fitzgerald's voice is warm and comforting. Rating: 4.

Would be a 5, but it's so longggg

I did it! I listened to the whole lot! Not my cup of tea, but actually a whole lot better than I was expecting. Disc 4 a bit slow and stringy; Disc 6 sounded like a '30s Christmas comedy movie soundtrack, but most of the Fitzgerald singing songs were alright. Did we need the 3 hour version, though? 'Best of' might have been better.

Perfect

No notes. Pure nostalgia that makes you yearn for the good ole days. Ella Fitzgerald and a big band is all you need to take you back to your 1960's parlor room with your glass of scotch.

Hard to find anything bad to say about this. One of America's greatest singers putting her spin on one of America's greatest composers.

Took me a long time to listen to this because a three hour compilation sounded like a rigorous undertaking. And it was but if you space it out by disc, and this is a compilation not a bespoke album so it's kosher to do so, you're not interrupting "the art object", it's incredibly pleasant and well constructed. She's got a few other Ella Fitzgerald Plays... comps and I'd check them all out because there just isn't a bad track on this one. Gershwins were masters, Ella's got a great voice and every single person in the band was a consummate professional.

I really like Ella but three hours is a bit much, hence the ding for one star.

lubie ten klimat, lubie te instrumenty no i album bez 30 powtórzeń a długi jak mało który

Ella is an all time voice of the 20th century

ziek lang album what da helly. mooie stem en leuk rustig jazzy album.

Sweet

Exceptional voice of Ella combined with exceptional songs and fantastic recordings. #johnsvinyl

Such a fun time... Could imagine myself listening to this while doing some chores. #relisten

I love Ella Fitzgerald's voice and I really like vocal jazz. The songs I have listened to were very good, however the album/box set is too long. I will gladly come back to listen new songs whenever I'm in mood for more moody love songs.

If you were to break this apart into multiple different albums, each with a length of 10 tracks or so, each album would get a 5/5 from me. But keeping it how it is, 59 tracks is simply too goddamn much for one sitting. I'm stuck between giving it a 3 or a 4. I guess it's a very low 4. Giving it a 3 just because of length seems mean when the music is top notch otherwise.

Wasn't bad a solid 6/10 I kinda liked it

7/10 While not an album that's going on my main playlist, I still had a great time with it. The vibes fill me with nostalgia for things I grew up with that may have shared a similar sound like Tom & Jerry and even Fallout: New Vegas. Will most likely revisit.

Pretty iconic songs but kinda long hits every classi

While all the songs were brilliantly performed, the length of the album was nearly too long

Beautiful

What a voice!!!!!! Sounds so effortless and beyond smooth. Great stuff. The album length however, is too much for this list.

1: But Not For Me 2: How Long Has This Been Going On? 3: Maybe

beautiful

I didn’t listen to the whole album but I think that’s excusable because hello 4 hours long. But I do know and love Ella Fitzgerald and what an incredible voice so 4 stars

Great album for ambiance

At its best, this is sublime. An edited highlights album would be any easy five stars. But about a third of the way through, I was ready for a break - I'm essentially listening to it in instalments.

god this thing is massive, but it’s great. lots of love songs, several goofy songs, and a bunch of big band. i was a little surprised there wasn’t more jazz to showcase Ella’s scat singing, but i guess this is more about the Gershwins. what a little treat as the last tune. i think Ira Gershwin said it best: “I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them”

When I saw that this compilation was over 3 hours long, I was dubious that I was going to listen to the entire thing. I started it with the expectation that I’d maybe listen to 2 to 3 discs and get a feel for the rest. Well, I listened to it all over a couple of days. The music is beautiful, Ella’s voice is wonderful, and I was enraptured. I’m taking one star off the rating because despite how glorious the music is, the length of the compilation could be trimmed.

muito bom, elegante, suave

Really liked her singing!

very extended but i enjoyed it. perfect for a restaurant night or to relax

Ella does not fuck with Delilah okay ella not every song is banger but when they are, they are amazing the strings are wonderful Ella likes shorts guys? lol her cousin her voice is also amazing, her tone and her story telling slap that bass is so true zoom zoom zoom felt more like a musical than an album tbh

*Idea* Perhaps the generator needs some kind of mechanic to roll long albums on a day you pick, think road trip, flight etc. Right so this finally happened to me. I feel like this album is undervalued because of its length. I listened to it on a lazy sunday, on a walk and just lounging. If I got it on a busy workday I wouldn't have had the time. Even on my lazy sunday I didn't listen to the whole album in one sitting, but divided it between the CD's as labeled in Spotify. Does that really count as one album then? Not really sure. The music itself is amazing though and well worth the time! 4/5 Not 5/5 because it's not really one album.

Great voice, I liked this album as background bluesy music.

Ella is one of the greatest singers of all time. These songs are good to have on hand to create a certain mood, the dominant vibes being elegance, nostalgia, romance, and mischievousness.

As many others on this site, I must confess to not listening to the entire album. I didn't have the time and I was never going to be able to give it the attention it deserved. So I cherry picked songs that I either already knew, or thought I might enjoy. What I did listen to was very good. Her singing was fantastic and the musicianship was excellent. If this was a single, or even double album, I would have found a way to listen to the whole thing. And I have no doubt I'd have enjoyed it very much. I've actually seen Ella Fitzgerald live, way back in 1982 at a free summer festival concert in Pittsburgh where I was one of about 100,000 people present. I recall it being very special and I thoroughly enjoyed the show, even though hers was not at all the kind of music I was listening to at the time. I will give this a four star rating based on what I did listen to, and I am certain I'd have enjoyed it to the same level regardless.

Cant go wrong with my girl ella

Beautiful. Reminds me so much of my dad singing a lot of these songs. I only made it through disk 3 but I would come back to hear more.

Great voice and some interesting stuff here. I didn’t listen to all 4 albums but I enjoyed it.

Коли побачив, що це збірка, ще й класичних бігбенд естрадних творів, то попередньо думав, що буду хейтити. Проте Еллу дуже приємно слухати, видатна вокалістка, легенда. Музично це не те, що я люблю. Водночас мені за два заходи все це діло не набридало. Ще раз такий досвід найближчим часом точно не повторив. Можна включити під різдво/новий рік для фейкової ностальгії.

The album is a classic, and I see traces of it in modern artist like Laufey. I love old jazz like Coltrane or Duke. This album was good, but a little too smooth and almost repetitive for the day I had. Still, it was a great listen even if I didn't finish all the way. Favorite song from the album was "He Loves and She Loves"

This is a long one, but a great one. Impeccable voice and classic American songs.

So many good songs. But come on. SIX discs?!?!

This is a perfectly lovely album. I like the band music, the gentle strings, and of course her voice which is JUST sublime. It's properly old-timey, but not in a jarring way. It's very accessible. Just a thoroughly pleasant time really. I didn't listen to the whole thing of course, but I don't think that says much. It's kind of ridiculous to include a box set on here as opposed to a single album. 3.5 rounded up.

Suffers a little from over-orchestration on some tracks...too many violins...her voice,however, is pure gold

It's awesome

Didn’t get through the whole album (6 discs in total) and although not my usual listen, I really liked it! Such a beautiful voice and so relaxing

Could deduct for the sheer length but music is 🤌🤌🤌

Was this 3 1/2 hours? Yes did I surprise myself by enjoying most of that experience yes. There’s a lot to be said about a song book like this with the definitive rhythm and voice while I don’t have to listen to this music I will definitely come back again when I need help studying

I’m trying not to hold the length against this because it was clearly not meant to be consumed in one day, but it’s hard because I felt like I was losing my mind by the end of disc 6. This is probably going to show up on my Spotify wrapped now. The music style is not for me. Everything was slow and downbeat and at one point I’m pretty sure I accidentally went back a few tracks and didn’t even notice. But of course she has one of the greatest voices there is. If I listened to any of these discs by themselves I would probably go light 4.

Peaceful classics. I like it a lot

A six disc box set... Are we being real right now? Isn't that cheating a little... Like, "I want to add Ella but can't pick, fuck it just add her entire catalog". Took me two days to finish, good but yeah, only for the fanatic.

good background

i don't know who george and ira gershwin are, nor the existence of this so-called songbook but i must say the songs do suit ms. fitzgerald perfectly. coming into this i knew it was gonna be jazz and blues-centered, but the performances in this one feel more light and cinematic. think "holidays" and a "slice of life" montage. i like the stories the songs tell; i see vivid images and flashes of certain scenarios being described and crooned. it feels like i am living through the lyrics, enjoying the tale, and getting lost in the instruments and the yearning croons of miss ella. this album needs to be listened at a specific time and mood; perfect for domestic activities, daydreaming sessions, or moments when you just want to procrastinate instead of doing your responsibilities like an adult (which may or may not mirror my current situation as i am writing this). ella, i will always be your fan and i will never get sick of hearing your golden voice. the album might've started slow, and some songs do sound a bit too similar and repetitive, but it was still a treat!

It was quite good. Ella Fitzgerald sounds like an angel, but its a little long for me personally

Are you insane??? 3hhh???? I didn’t listen the whole album - only the 1 and 2 track Its giving me the 101 dalmatians vibe

las letras de sus canciones eran preciosas

Wow. Bold move by the creators of this list to put an entire 3.25 hour box set on here. She's got an otherworldly voice, however, and she made it worthwhile. Who the hell is Nelson Riddle?

7.6 (3 hours is to much, even tho she has a great voice)

Me sorprende haber escuchado Jazz viniendo de la electronica JAJA. Es un género que no me interesaba en lo absoluto pero me enamore a la primera escucha

She is amazing. Her voice, how she conveys meaning in these songs...it's stunning. The band is great. The song choice varied and interesting (which you get when you cover 59 songs!). The sound quality was superb. Doing one of these a day, I admit to not being able to pay attention to all 59, but as I was able to listen attentively, I was well rewarded.

I only listened to Disc 1 because I simply can’t commit to 3 hours and 14 minutes of any album. Ella’s voice is absolutely magnificent and if this wasn’t an active listening experience, I would have no issues at all having this on for a whole afternoon of relaxing. Best Track: But Not For Me

Very beautiful, sounds like Christmas. Kind of repetitive, but never bad. Loved The Real American Folk Song.

Quand même impressionnant pour du AI

but not for me 1959 united states jazz

She’s so cinderella but i only got through disc 1

It was good to hear all these standards sung by her, but I did not need ALL of them all at once. Three hours is a little much.

I found this album to be very smoothing and relaxing. It goes along really well as background noise when I am working as well. I anticipate returning to the album every now and then and the cover art was also delightful.

Дуже класний джазовий альбом. З вайбом легкої весняно-літньої романтики

Classy. Her voice is fabulous and some tracks show this off beautifully. Some songs are less good and don't do her voice justice.

This was the first album generated for me on this site, and I had mixed emotions getting it again. On one hand, it’s a fabulous collection, with timeless songs by George and Ira Gershwin, beautifully sung by Ella Fitzgerald. On the other hand, I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about returning to a three-hour-long album, especially after hearing it in full just over a month ago. In the end, I only revisited the tracks I’d saved from my first listen, and even that amounted to over an hour of music! That alone speaks volumes about this album’s quality, even if I wasn’t quite ready for the full marathon this time around.

Long, good songs, good singin', good playin'

Too long. but Ella Fitzgerald is a gem

Crazy. Didn't get a full listen to each track, but what a legend. Long ass album, great to have on in the clinic.

Nice

Listened 1/5/2026.

Trust Ella Fitzgerald's vocal tone to wrap you in a bundle of warm drinks and cold cozy nights

8/10. Lovely smooth listening jazz-soul album

Genuinely a beautiful album to listen to. As a big Shirley Bassey fan, I particularly enjoyed it, especially because the singing style is very similar. Of course a three hour long album can get a bit boring to listen to, like everything in this genre. I really liked it, especially in the background to create a nice atmosphere

Fantastic voice, amazing music, very long

Quite amazed by it, awesome for relaxing and mood boost.

This was pretty good jazz. Not a genre i typically like but very good imo

Jazz, like jazz.

very traditional nice jazz

What a timeless voice.

standouts: begginers luck, just another rhumba, sam and delilah

It’s Ella and the Gershwins and Nelson Riddle, so quality is guaranteed. Not so sold on the songbook idea though, I prefer it to be mixed up a bit. Would love her to cut loose a bit, it’s all a bit safe. Perhaps that’s the point. Gave the usual second listen a miss

Beautiful voice

Good album. Kind of long and there’s some filler but great stuff too

It was good

Oh no another recording with more than 2 albums worth. It does make me wonder if multiple album proejcts should have their own category. Likely not going to be able to listen to this whole thing in a day but in order to keep this project going I’ll listen to as much as I can and edit these notes once I get through it all in the next few days. Should be fun though as Ella is a great vocalist. Alright I’m getting through it now and wow these are some great songs! I appreciate the work that went into all the arrangements. There’s an epic, show-tune kinda vibe here which is possible so it would be good to know the context of some of these lyrics. Would be fun to karaoke these but it would take a bit of work for sure to get it to Ella’s level!

Nobody else does it quite like this…

A lot of high quality songs with a great vocal performance. The last disc therefore is a bit lacking without the good songwriting and vocals. Rating this not as an album to sit through in one go, but as a compilation of works, it is quite good.

The songs tended to blend together after a while, but I did like it! She has an amazing voice.

Wonderful! Love the juxtaposition between the soft and smooth sound and the occasionally hard topics.

Very soothing. Very jazzy. Ella Fitzgerald knows how to sing a ditty and I love her for it.

Outside of opera, Ella has the best voice of all-time and the combination of her flawless vocals with great instrumentation almost makes up for the corny lyrics and enormous album length (well over 3 hours). Unfortunately, I can't give 5 stars to an album that simply doesn't fit the brief of "album", which makes me wonder why this one is even on the list. It's a collection of songs that is not intended to be listened to in one setting. If they'd just picked a shorter Ella album it would easily be in the running for top ten album on this list. 4.0/5.0: Great

this one is a struggle to rate. on one hand you have great songs performed by a generational talent. on the other hand you have a collection of songs not really meant to be listened to consecutively as an album. the format makes what should be an easy 5 an incredibly tough listen. do yourself a favor an break this up into smaller chunks and it will be a much more enjoyable listen.

So nice to listen but dang this is a lot of songs

too many songs to get through all of them, but i want a CD/record version of this

I remember this one from another 1001 and that it was quite enjoyable

Pretty nice album - solid voice, nice accompanying music. It's obvious Ella Fitzgerald's voice is the thing being put forward on this album. It's nice background music, but I don't know how much I'd want to actively listen to this.

Top ! Quelle voix ! C’est bien en petite musique d’ambiance, en fond

was hoping to get this on a weekend. or really any day not involving a transatlantic flight. but whatever. Ella Fitzgerald put out a few albums with this premise, and this is the longest of the bunch. i guess i can understand the argument that this could do to be edited a bit but the encyclopedic nature is a strong point imo. she's a phenomenal singer and can elevate even the lamest song written by the (generally really great at writing) Gershwins. split it up into discs and it won't get old. deserves to be one of the 1001? yes. and it deserves to be spread out over a few days but this project isn’t quite flexible with that. and give her another album for good measure.

If i wasnt made to listen to it all in one day i would have enjoyed it way more. 6 hours no skips great album.

Will return to this. Has some very fun musical numbers.

I love music from this time period and the album has a lot of gems. Overall it is quite long but the instrumentals are gorgeous and there are so many stories packed into it

Wow. Lovely record of talent across generations with both lyrics and voice. She did a number of these songbooks over a 5 year period all equally as long, hopefully not all on the 1001 list.

Ella is one of the greatest singers and she makes every song feel so natural, this honestly has no bad songs and it feels shorter than it is - however it is simply way too long, this could be an all-timer LP or double album and this could have been a collectors edition for the true fans.

Personal note: I like how I hit on the thing “Yes I want to listen to albums on the weekend” just for them to give me a 6 disc, 3 + hour record to listen to. Review: The Gershwin Songbook by Ella Fitzgerald is amazing. Honestly, never knew who Ella was but I have heard her. Ella has the most iconic voice for Jazz in her time period. Ellas voice is really the forefront of the show. Wonderful quirky lyrics always keep a lot of these songs engaged even for 3 hours. Shout out to the Jazz band as well as they too did a wonderful job. Two issues I ran into: 1. I hate how history has whitewashed Ella. Cartoons, TV shows, etc. really fooled me that this was a white woman singing and not a black woman. Big shame on the industry 2. Back to the actual review: some of the songs in structure for a 3 hour album are repetitive. A lot of the songs end in that classic “ TO MEEEEEE” with the horns blasting and strings stringing. If I had to be critical, there need to be a little more varience. But I wouldn’t say it took away from my experience. Wonderful 3 hour experience and Ill probably be playing this album every Christmas now 8/10

Lovely vocal jazz project! Beautifully sung and the musical arrangements just as gorgeous. Ella is a generational talent! Surely this project was not meant to listen all in one sitting- 3 hours and 5 disks is quite overwhelming for the average listener today. As a piece that archives the Gershwin's collection well, I loved. As an album obviously it doesn't work... and if it was meant to be consumed as such, there would have been choices to leave out most of these tracks. BUT I loved most of the tracks, but the tracks dwindle in strength by the last two disks.

Day one was a two CD set. Not every song was a winner but there were some great pieces in it. Will return to this eventually.

Veldig fint! Hørte ikke hele da, varer jo i timesvis.

The Gershwin Songbook is odd. It's 75% old-fashioned sounding ditties and 25% culture defining classics. Ella is great, duh, but the whole package is too long and would benefit from more curation.

Wonderful voice. Some fun tunes. Good work if you can get it! Tomato, tomahto

Ella is the best. The Gershwins are great. But all these songs are pretty similar and it is all too much. It isn't one album, it is six. I'll come back and give a proper rating later. 4/5 but still needs trimmigng

Wonderful songs by George and Ira Gershwin, with an equally wonderful performance by Ella Fitzgerald. At over 3 hours, it certainly is longer than a traditional LP, but its length is warranted by its being a songbook. Standout tracks on each disc, but I'd be lying if I said that there were no forgettable tunes. That being said, the variety here ensures there are no real periods of dullness. I love the artwork on the sleeve too; it reminds me of the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. Fitzgerald? New York?

Was this an extremely long compilation album? Yes. Would I listed to it again because Ella Fitzgerald is that good? Also yes. 4.25

Certainly one of the greatest.

did not listen to the full 3 hours but gosh she had a wonderful voice, what a treat

I don't think I've ever listened to a 6 disk album before! I'd be lying if I said I truly took it all in, but having it on in the background was nice and overall I enjoyed the atmosphere of this album

MY BROTHER IN CHRIST THIS IS A BOX SET. Not just a compilation, a box set. God in heaven. The voice on this woman. Good God. Her tone is so clear and warm. Just unbelievable. The songs aren’t really my bag, but they are melodic, and catchy. I personally can’t stand “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” because who says “puh-TAH-to.” Who says “URFter.” “Lurfter.” What the hell. All this being said- this thing is wayyyyy too long. One disc is a good amount. Two is unreasonable. Three is insane. Four (the one with the alternate takes) is just cruel. Come on. Let’s swap this out for a compilation of this set. There must be one. FOUR STARS

Old school? No really really old school. Gershwin to the best of my knowledge was a huge movie and broadway composer. Not my cup o’ tea but gave me some early childhood black and white movie flashbacks.

absolutely beautiful vocals and instrumentation.

bro think she Laufey 🫩🫠 Fire album tho will be dming this to my deceased grandma 🪦🌹

Gersh Alert!

I could listen to this every evening with a bottle of wine.

I've always had a soft spot for the works of Ella. Such an amazing voice. Yes, the Gershwin songs are generally quite dated but there are some absolute classics on this album.

As others on this site have pointed out, this is a very long compilation. But maybe grow up? Idk.

Had it on in the background while working around the house and that was exactly what it lends itself to. Sounds like a cliche and it's obviously ridiculously long, but it's a mood for sure.

Queen shit pt 2

Good stuff

loved

One of the most romantic voices ever. Nobody could sing love songs like Ella ❤️

Too big an album to give it a thorough listen, but this is reminiscent of my childhood with a mother who sang these songs. Not to mention the fact that she's an incredible voice of a generation. 4 only because it needs to be chopped down to one album (which is PLENTY to get Gershwin)

chill af

Really pleasant, gorgeous voice, fun premises

Ella at her best.

Older music from the 50s reminds me of Christmas music, which is part of why I think I have a higher tolerance towards. The way I listen to any music onwards is much different from the way I listen to music from this era. I listen much more passively, which in turn can make the listens much more enjoyable because I’m less interested in song structure or length or context even. Any of those finer things just get tossed out the window. For music from this era, if it sounds good, it’s getting a good rating from me, which isn’t always the case for music going forward. That being said, this was an extremely pleasant listen, and it’s probably for these previously-mentioned reasons that I can tolerate 3 hours of this music, but I really did enjoy it.

I didn't think I'd be saying this, but even though it's over three hours long, I enjoyed myself. Most of it isn't stuff I'll come back to, but some of it is and while it isn't my favourite Ella, she's still great here.

It seems the music on this album was the "oldies" music of 1959. The first three songs were originally released in 1930 (Sam and Delilah), 1930 (But Not for Me), and 1927 (My One and Only). Ella Fitzgerald is a legend and she sounds flawless. George and Ira Gershwin made incredible music, also legends. I was surprised how many of these songs are instantly recognizable. This album is truly the musical equivalent of drinking from the fire hose, there is just so much. There is really good music here, but there's a reason why no one sits down and eats 6 pieces of cake, much less 6 entire cakes, at one time.

Realized how many songs have taken a samples from this album. I love her voice

Gosh, she's good.

jazz

Estuve escuchando todo el día este album, pues es bastante extenso y puedo decir con total seguridad q transmite demasiada paz en tus odios cada canción única 20/10

A lovely Sunday in New York vibe. Slow morning. <3

only listened to discs 1+2. Was wonderful!! Definitely a Christmas pick

Tons of fun

The Gershwin Songbook was one of the few very long albums on this list that i enjoyed. It really is some of the best jazz music i have ever heard with plenty of great parts from each and every musician and Fitzgerald's vocals also made this album come a long way. It is interesting that this is less of an album and more of a box set which explains it's length but i still think it went on for a while. 3 hours is a long time for any album and i feel that albums that go on for that long that don't massively change up their sound can easily get repetitive and hard to remember. This album would have been an easy 5 stars if it were just a bit shorter but it still gets a very respectable 4 stars. Best Song: The Real American Folk Song Worst Song: Soon

I agree with pretty much everything everyone said. It’s so long. It’s really good. A ton of solid songs with some gorgeous standouts.

Too long to listen to all 40 songs here but I really dug what I managed to listen to

I love ella

I love lounge music!

Classic voice

Good music

Really nice easy listening. some lovely tracks, and a beautiful voice. Favourite track - beginner's luck

That was too much Gershwin for one listen. Or even the 2 sessions it took to get through. But damn, there can never be enough Ella. She’s the absolute greatest.

Fortjener en ret høj score fordi det jo bare lød pissegodt hele vejen igennem!