The Gershwin Songbook

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!

Imponerande att vara så långt men ändå njutbart!

3 timmar långt men hon är underbar att lyssna på

Gershwins 5, Ella 5, but I have to knock off a point for Nelson Riddle and his overbearing orchestration.

Lovely, relaxing music.

A lot of great songs, performed by a great singer. Also an interesting insight into how much the music industry has changed since 1959. 'Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book' - they really were simpler times weren't they.

Really enjoyable album. Loved it.

Final thoughts: I listened to all of it. Was I looking forward to it? No. But I'm glad I did. What a voice! I didn't love everything on here, but the slower ballads continued to hit me just right for the duration. Will you love these songs? Not necessarily. Should you listen to this if you care about the history of pop music? Absolutely. I may not like the length, but this is exactly why I started this project. ******************************************************************************* DISC 1 --'But Not For Me' was lovely. --Sigh, nobody says 'potato' like that. --'Oh, Lady Be Good' is also very pleasant. I like the slow tracks --'How Long Has This Been Going On?' slows things down again and once again it's great DISC 2 --'The Man I Love' is hauntingly beautiful --we get some ragtime pian-ee with 'The Real American Folk Song' --'Somebody From Somewhere' is slow and wonderful. I'm noticing a pattern --This has been a pleasant experience so far, but I'm not going to do this all in one sitting. I'm not that much of a psycho (yet) DISC 3 --'For You For Me For Evermore' is perfect --'I've Got a Crush on You" I could listen to her ballads all day DISC 4 --Slap That Bass! --'Isn't It a Pity' is great. Surprise, it's a ballad! --'Love Walked in'? banger --'Embraceable You' is a classic DISC 5 --'Lorelei' is awesomely sassy --'Oh So Nice' is indeed very nice DISC 6 --this may all be instrumental. which wouldn't be terrible because the musicians are excellent. but I'm here for Ella

this was an undertaking. the second 3+ hour album on this list. and absolute insanity that an album this old could even be this long. but somehow it never got tiring!! it was never mind-blowing but it was always good. even the last disc of all instrumentals i really liked. very impressive

Arrancamos oficialmente la primera semana de octubre con una mostra del jazz, de la que sólo he escuchado un disco en colaboración con Louis Armstrong. Debo decir que pausé toda la semana el reto para poder escuchar esta obra enorme, que me fascinó. Inmediatamente, uno relaciona a éste tipo de jazz con películas (específicamente, Disney) o dibujos animados (Tom y Jerry). Más allá de esas conexiones de otro tiempo, la voz de Ella Fitzgerald a uno lo seda. Deja todo en reposo y en una bella calma. Muchas gracias y seguimos con éste reto hermoso.

Incredible work from Ella and the Gershwin's, just a stacked tracklist. Stellar.

top3: - i’ ve got a crush on you - for you for me for everyone - nice work if you can get it

Very nice and cozy

I worked my way through the 4-hour, 13-minute Expanded Edition of this project. While it was definitely a behemoth to work through, I have walked away with a newfound Ella appreciation. My favorites were, "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "Oh, Lady Be Good," "Treat Me Rough," and "Lorelei."

Don’t like these old standards, but her voice and the orchestra are so sublime I actually liked quite a bit of this very long collection.

Her voice is like silk or velvet. Perfect soundtrack for those long, autumn evenings.

Pleasant performances all throughout, although very same-y in this quantity. However, putting a collection like this on a list of albums was like putting a boxed set of all seasons of a TV show on a list of movies.

"3 hours is just too long for an album" was my initial thought. A little over 3 hrs later and I guess I was wrong. Her voice is just amazing, I could listen to her sing the phonebook.

love her music but holy shit 3 hours???

This is great of course (because Ella, because she's always a delight to hear), but Riddle offers only the broadest and most overdone arrangements. And editors might consider spiffing the list with the likes of Abbey Lincoln, Cassandra Wilson, etc.

Listened to the first 4 discs. Band sounds great. There was a cadence exactly when my train to a stop and that felt good. Call me gay but this is a 4 even though it's long af

Despite the slowness of the music I find myself hanging on every word. It's the perfect kind of thing to put on in the background but also would be lovely to have seen live.

I remember my mam!💕

7/10

Went back to work today after week off and if any album is going to make that a joyful and restful experience it is this one. After checking that I indeed have the album with just 59 songs and not the reissue (sigh), I swaddled myself in a blanket, cup of coffee in hand, and let this just ooze over me. Such beautiful songs sung by a truly wonderful vocalist.

Legendary vocals with really good music backing it up. It's very much old school with a brass section and there are dramatic horn pops or whatever it's called when everyone with a horn blasts it at the same time. Not in a bad way but in a dramatic highlighting the music way. You will know what I mean when you listen to it. The whole album is very nice I listened to it again the next day. I'm sure I will be listening to this many more times.

I like Ella's jazzy stuff, but this is more show tunes with a big orchestra. It's definitely not my usual style. My grandmother probably liked it. Yet... the songs make me happy. Her voice is incredible as always. You might know a few of these, in Ella's version or others (e.g. "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"). It's over 3 hours of music, BTW!

Amazing Really great singing voice Some swing music I think Only heard 14 out of 60 songs

I'm going to rate it 4 stars because it's Ella Fitzgerald and I know some of these songs but it's over 3 hours long 😅

I love Ella Fitzgerald's singing, one of the best of all time. So graceful, so elegant, there's just lots to love. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that bonkers runtime. While Ella has no problem carrying her weight in the album the repeated cycle of production just doesn't do it for me. Nevertheless, with the amount of songs on this there is no shortage of great songs. For the most part, this was a great listen excluding the runtime. Top 4: But Not For Me (solos), Embraceable You, Love Is Here To Stay, and Someone Watch Over Me 3.75-4.25/5

6 discs is absolutely crazy work, but Ella is THAT girl and it's so easy to listen to.

Beautiful ambitious album. I'm sure one day I will finish it although I doubt in one sitting since it's over three hours. One of the greatest singers of all time

The voice, oh the voice Breathing life into each note But oh so, so long

I didn't listen to the 3 hour plus box set, just selections from it. These are great songs and Fitzgerald sings them superbly with impeccable backing from Nelson Riddle's orchestra. Not really my cup of tea but I can appreciate the hell out of it (just not for 3 hours plus).

Very good. Listen to the first two discs

great singer, great songs.

Before I get into the music- why is the album cover of a white lady? Aside from that, great album. Can't believe how long it is. Gershwin and Ella Fitzgerald and wildly prolific.

So lovely

i love a bitta Ella. But i could not listen to this entire thing through. I got the gist after disc one. It’s beautiful music don’t get me wrong. But did i need to hear this before i die?

I give myself 5 stars for listening to all 3 hours and 15 minutes of this. Pleasant stuff. The lyric "So I'm looking for a boy 'Bout five foot six or seven" is not something that is familiar from contemporary online dating profiles.

Ella sings classics, c’mon. I met her Once, extra special.

Alltså visst. Gershwin är ett geni! Fitzgerald sjunger skiten ur örhänge efter örhänge. Men är det rimligt att kalla ett 6-box-set med 59 sånger och över tre timmars lyssningstid för ett album? Hur ska jag betygsätta. Hur jämför jag med 35 minuters 60-talspop? Blir ju bara larvigt ju! Nåja det kan ju inte bli en femma när man slänger hel pastakoket i väggen och hoppas att något ska fastna. 4

Brilliant voice, entirely too long, listened to the best of and didn't feel deprived

Big band jazz with the legendary Ella 👌 Takes about half a day to listen through though!

lovely, gorg-iana, icon, straight up cunt, BE-YOU-tiful, Linda Evangelista, real eyes realize real lies, intel core processor, salty salty crocodile tears yum yum yum in my tum.

I listened to "The Very Best Of The Gershwin Song Book" sang by Ella Fitzgerald instead. I did not want to grow resentful of Ms Fitzgerald or the Gershwins. I am glad that they blessed earth with a 3h 14m album, but I don't think that's meant for us to listen to all in a row. Unless that's your jam.

Ella is always on point. An amazing singer, beautiful songs to play, nice arrangements. A must!

Good stuff! Classic, mostly sounds the same, but reminds me of high school

A great collection. As an “album” it could be trimmed down.

As an album this is overkill but as a compilation it is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved it

Yeah it's was long but she can sing and it sounds good as i drive on 294

Never really something I'd considered listened to, but it was a peaceful, fun listen. Ella's voice is beautiful and the music was like a relaxing day in a sunny park.

I don’t know how much to write on this that hasn’t already been said. Ella’s voice is silky and beautiful, and I could listen to her sing a toothpaste ad. Throw her in with Gershwin, and you have magic. There was so many great songs showing off her range and vocal chops, as well as great performance by the unnamed musicians in the band. My favorite song, though, was the swaggering That Certain Feeling, with its long music interlude and her fluid voice playfully moving across the notes. She’s an American Treasury.

I am entranced by her voice. And it seems the music is more in the background than in, say, the Sinatra and his ilk's recordings--to this recording's credit. The Gershwin compositions have an enduring timelessness, a defining presence in the American songbook, in no small part maybe to Ella's beautiful interpretation. I don't know as I'll have time for all four discs, but I'll have a delightful time trying.

3 val. gan išgąsdino, bet pakankamai lengvai klausosi, Ella gali skaityti žodyną ir vis tiek gražiai skambės. Tekstas lengvas, galima nuspėti, kokius žodžius surimuos. Puikus sekmadienio pasivaikščiojimo po parką albumas.

A box set album of Gershwin songs that is three hours and fifteen minutes long ! I've entered the world of Jazz and climbed it's Everest ! Ella Fitzgerald's voice is absolutely enchanting, no doubt about that. This is maybe the ultimate chill out album of all time. Great arrangements. The whole thing is pretty much flawless really. Yes, it's looooong but so what, lose yourself and this world for three hours and relax. Yes, I listened to it all.

4 would love that.

very old timey but also very pleasant to listen to. enjoyed!

Voix sublime mais beaucoup trop long à écouter pour une seule journée !

Amazing voice, great songs.

naprosto divno... nevjerojatno koliko je ovo staro a izvrsno

That was a lot of music. I would say it holds up pretty good start to finish. Took multiple days to get through it.

Ok you have to be in the right mood for this one. It's over three hours and very chill. I started at work while doing some mind numbing tasks so I got into it there. Then came home and it was a low key Monday night so I played the rest. It makes me wish it was cooler out. Her voice is simply amazing and this album is clear as a bell. Some older recordings can be heard, this one sounds like it was put out a few years ago. Impressive. You can tell some of these were recorded at different times. Her voice sounds different in some and I swear I can hear the hiss of an album in a few. I wore my good headphones for this album. I'm not familiar with the Gershwins, I know the name and that they wrote a lot of "standards". I don't think I would enjoy it as much if someone else was singing. Maybe some of the rat pack could so these justice, I'll bet Sinatra or Martin could do well with some of these. Ella just takes it to a different level. I can see a lot of folks being turned off on this one. It's very of its age. It feels like Grandma's house in fall. It's a damn good album set, but it's not modern. I think this will get added to my album list. It just feels relaxing. I wish it was cut down though, it's a lot. Still though I will end up putting it on to read a book with, or cook a big meal, I won't sit down and listen to it cover to cover.

delightful

Enjoyed this more than expected. Ella's voice was incredible; her control and her phrasings were amazing. The recording and arrangements were impeccable. The only knock is the length of the entire collection - it became exhausting as the songs started to blend into one long song. I broke it up into separate listening sessions but still had the deju vu feeling when listening. All in all, its an awesome collection of one of the greatest female voices of all time.

Great voice - LOTS of album - 6 discs - last disc purely musical (no Ella singing).

Amazing, iconic voice. I just didn't have time to get through the whole album... It's over 3 hours long. But, I could easily see just throwing it on for some atmosphere when doing stuff around the house. It deserves more than that, though.

Timeless

Very very long boxset album. However, every song is really good. Fitzgerald and Gershwin are some of the best at what they do. The songwriting is very entertaining, and Fitzgerald performs the songs so so well.

outstanding profoundly sublime

This is as good as it gets for this genre for me. Great voice, elegant tone, just iconic jazz. During the whole four hours I never once wished it was done already.

Personally I would have chosen Ella's Cole Porter Songbook (I prefer Porter to the Gershwins), but this is still stellar work. There's no mistaking Nelson Riddle's work on this but this is all about that stunning voice. Highlights (if you don't want the entire 3+ hour experience): But Not For Me Let's Call This Whole Thing Off Nice Work If You Can Get It Someone To Watch Over Me Love Is Here To Stay They Can't Take That Away From Me Fascinating Rhythm. I Got Rhythm (But really her Cole Porter Songbook is the one to scope out)

The only person who comes close to the effortless quality of Ella’s voice is Sir Len Houmous! They had a brief affair in 1955 when Len got back from Korea. It was a wonderfully acoustic household…..on the surface! 4.2 22/59 A Foggy Day

I didn't expect to be charmed by so many of these songs. It's an exhaustive (and exhausting) historical record of the Gershwin Songbook performed to perfection.

If it were 45 mins of the best then 5 stars. I actually listened to about 2hrs of it but couldn’t make it through the rest as forgot where I left. I enjoyed the music but it’s too bloody long!

There's classic and then there is Ella Fitzgerald. This is classic not something that is in my regular playlist.

Didn’t finish it but it’s very cozy

Didn’t really mind 3 hours of this, it was nice background music

Lyssnade första skivan. Lättsmält och behagligt att lyssna till. Perfekt vid en pinne efter en god middag

Must listen to album for all rock fans. Very experimental sound. a fantastic album to listen to really understand the music that came after this and how influential it was to our modern sound

Of course fantastic. I was unaware of this series. I will check out the other albums.

Incredible compilation, masterful from beginning to end. If you haven't heard this music before, it won't be too hard, but if you have, it will be tedious. Having said this, it's charming, sung beautifully and it's lively all the way through. Although I had to take a few pauses to keep going till the end.

Her voice is immaculate and and musicians are incredible, but you can have too much of a good thing.

Приятно и стильно.

Almost a five just because I don’t know if I could listen to anything else for 3 hours and not get bored.

This is a great record! Classic songwriting and Ella's vocals make this one of the greatest albums of the era.

Ella is a timeless singer. Her voice is so iconic and the songs she sings are beyond classic.

Docked a star for putting an album that eats 12.5% of an entire day to consume on this list. Beautiful and well crafted, but a little much.

Excellent

Perfect with some McDonald’s after a long day at the office. Such lovely music, such lovely scenery. Without the context, prob a 3/5, but I gotta give it some bonus points.

3 horas entre pecho y espalda y no m arrepiento

Was really enjoying this then I realised how long it was and started to drift off. Was great for the first 45 mins

Ella and George and Ira and I spent 4:15 together, which was a beautiful way to end the afternoon and begin the evening.

Never listened to Ella, I really enjoyed this album.

Lengthy but great music to have on in the background

Very unintrusive music, needed to do something else while listening to it (also fell asleep at one point and relistened to a part of the album, also good for sleep ig)

Yea this is a freaking monster of a collection - 6 disks! But I enjoyed listening to it over a few weeks, I was always happy to come back to it. I found I was more relaxed when I drove to it. Not all the songs hit, but most were great.

It’s Ella and it’s Gershwin. But this feels almost like an encyclopedia. Maybe should’ve had a shorter version on here than the whole damn enchilada.

Hard to go wrong with Ella

Lovely, beautiful, superb.

Really beautiful songs, but to be honest, I didn’t get through the whole thing because it is three hours long, but I listened to the first two and a half discs and the last one (which was an instrumental by someone else, good stuff). Ella Fitzgerald‘s voice just sounds like Sunday morning for me. Saved this one.

Ella's voice is absolute ear candy

What a perfect voice. She nailed every one of these songs. Over three hours of beauty.

Geez, this is long. But even with its length, I still liked it. I get that this is important as it's an early box set, but they could have easily cut this down and a few albums or something. I didn't want this to feel like a chore, but it did a little. Ira Gershwin said "I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them", and I agree with him on that. A number of classics, as well as obscure songs, really fit her vocal performance well. One song I gravitated to was ""My Cousin In Milwaukee." It felt like a song that was made on a dare... "hmmmm what rhymes with Milwaukee... solemn and spinal column..." It shouldn't work, and yet it does. (the plot for the musical it comes from is NUTS). It was a nice mellow album to listen to, but having it be so long really sucked some of the fun out of it. Leave them wanting more, you know? But I am going to give it good marks because I did enjoy it, but it's not a classic to me. Top tracks (there are a lot I could name, but top 5): "Fascinating Rhythm," "My Cousin In Milwaukee," "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Aren't You Kind of Glad We Did?"

I'm not really sure how to rate this album(s). Ella Fitzgerald has an amazing voice but 50+ songs and 3+ hours of listening is a lot. I didn't think the 1,001 list did compilations but maybe this isn't one because she decided to record and release all of them together. It is an impressive aim and she did this several times. So I feel like I can't be too harsh because this was a thing she did. And in some ways it seems to have popularized the approach of singing another's set of work. And from what I read, we have Ella to thank for making so many of these songs part of common culture. Still, show tunes and jazz standards aren't my thing. And for a guy who likes themes, it's a bit strange to have a whole variety of themes and stories coming together as one-off songs are picked for the album. As it stands, I can't give it a 5 but I think a 3 would be too low given its historical significance and her incredible vocals. 3.5, round up.

How do you rate an album like this? It's a pleasant listen and it's full of good songs, but that is bound to happen when you make an album spanning 5 LP's with covers from one of the greatest songwriters and composers of all time. The orchestration is beautiful, Ella Fitzgerald has a beautiful voice and they probably spent a ton of money producing this album. I don't think I'll put these 3.5 hours on for a second time. Unlike the Magnetic Fields, who also made a long album, this one is more of a compilation album than one with an overarching theme. I don't think we needed the full 5 records on this list, despite them all being filled with lots of pleasant songs from the great songbook era of music.

Good, but way to long for an album

so quiet, i felt on a 50’s movie

Dad- 8 Mom- 8.5 Mike- NA Lori- 7.5 Michael- 7 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 7.75

Oh come on Ella, you know you can't do that. Maybe the roaring 50s were a lawless place but nobody has 3+ hours in this economy. The worst part is that it all rocks.

So good, so legendary. I should listen to this more!

Beautiful voice of course. Songs are classic

Brilliant

I was honestly excited, because this is the kind of thing that I really know nothing about but am looking forward to listening to. That was until I saw the length. It's my birthday bro. I'm just gonna start out by listening to the most popular songs. This is just phenomenal. I was not familiar with Fitzgerald before this (all I knew is that she is just some singer from the early 1900s). I really cannot disassociate it with Christmas music though. Such an amazing voice and band. The album itself though is just long and the songs sound very similar. I listened to like 8 and they were all very similar and got a little stale. 8/10

I would rate a 5, but agree that the length of this album detracts. It is full of great stuff, but 3+ hours too much for my listening tastes. I will listen to it again, but in smaller chunks. An album of the "Best of" would probably be a 5.

I went into this kinda dreading it because of the length. Yes it took 2 days to actually get through it but I actually did enjoy it.

Nice

Ella Fitzgerald's singing is easily worth 5-stars, she's fantastic here. With songs by the Gershwins, arrangements by Nelson Riddle and produced by Norman Granz, you couldn't get heavier hitters in this world of music. A four disc box set representing the works of 5 albums is a lot to digest. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would and were I to listen to the five separate albums over the course of multiple weeks it would be so much better because the listening fatigue wouldn't set in. The music is great but it's better in smaller doses.

Not enough time to listen to all of it but listened to half and enjoyed it.

Ok. This music is not my jam. Also, I know it's really good and historically important. My father was a big fan. Though I don't expect this to be something I'll choose to listen to on my own when I'm just choosing something to listen to for enjoyment, I think it's still good enough to give a 4 and probably should be a 5.

escutar jazz me deixa automaticamente feliz

Ella is peerless, but the Gershwin songbook as arranged presented here is syrupy and ponderous. This entry could have been Ella Sings Cole Porter.

I mean, this is great, but I've heard so much of it before, and it's just so long, that I didn't love it as much as I could have.

This took me a long time to listen to. I put two of my later albums "Toys in the Attic" and "Suede" in at approximately 1 hour intervals. I really appreciate this list/ generator for provoking me to listen to an album like this even if it's 3 hours long. Fitzgerald's voice is incredible. The music sublime. The fact that this sounds so well and is so old is a testament to the craftsmanship of those who put this album together. My favorites are "Of Thee I Sing" and "Stiff Upper Lip." 4.25/5

At 3 hours and 15 minutes, I think this is the kind of thing you should listen to before you die, but over the course of your whole life and not in one sitting. I regularly ding records for not having a good "shape" to the thing, and this has zero shape, because it's a compilation. Ella Fitzgerald is great, George Gershwin is great. I'll happily listen to a song or two or ten. But 3 hours of this straight through is trying in a way that I'm not willing to subject myself to. So, while it's not representative of the content (which is unimpeachable, by the way), I can't in good conscience call it a 5 star "album" in the same way that I can't call a compilation of short stories a 5 star novel, but it's a remarkable historical and musical artifact. Sue me.

I like Ella (who doesn't), but am not a huge fan of the Gershwin's. It's okay if you like 50's standards, but she has much more interesting work. Admittedly, I only listened to the first album of this collection.

I hate that I’m only giving this a 4, instead of a 5. Ella is one of the all time greats, but a collection that is 3 hours long is a huge ask of any artist. In terms of making a list for a book, an album like this is a good pick, but when converted to a challenge like this, it’s a bit harder to swallow. I’m almost done Disc 2 while writing this, but there are still 4 more to go. So as much as I love Ella’s music, this was a bit much for a single day’s listen.

The best voice even thought they weren’t her best songs. Definitely worth a listen.

Took 3 billion years to complete, but it was a good journey.

Very very beautiful but also very very long

Holy shit. What. A. Voice. This is what I signed up for.

As far as generes i would never choose to listen to, this would be a record is could go back to. Just really fun and relaxing simultaneously

Absolute classic. Ella’s voice and the Gershwin’s compositions are a match made in heaven. It doesn’t make my all time favorite albums, but I will be re-listening not infrequently.

That was long but enjoyable.

6 disks is too many

Her voice is amazing but I'm not a big fan of snow tunes

My vibes.

Had it on whilst doing a bit of gardening. A tad surreal environment, but very nice.

Absolute class. But listening to all 59 songs in one session is a challenge. Ella’s voice is sublime, Gershwin was a genius.

Ella 5/5. The band 5/5. The songs: 5/5. The only issue, as many others have pointed out, is the length. It's a fantastic set, but I'd be far more likely to put on the "best of" before I'd listen to the whole 3+ hours. Still, that's not a knock on the quality of the full set, more a knock on my own attention span and need for variety.

someone already made the comment calling it "59 Love Songs". someone already made the comment informing people the line "why are people gay" is from Love Is Sweeping The Country. i just dont think there's that much left for me to mention. i guess all i have left to say is that "Embraceable You" sounds like the benevolent good-sided counterpart of Despicable Me over the course of 3+ hours you can get the sense that the album is a little overly-consistent, most of the tricks in the bag came from the same carton of eggs still it's an albumful of good music, a pleasant showing of 50s lounge jazz, and as far as genres to listen to 3+ hours of go, it couldve been a lot more intimidating than this perhaps, just maybe, this collection of songs is why the people are gay after all

This is massive, so I didn't get through it all, but I'm really surprised how much I liked it. I always liked Ella, but never thought of myself as a Gershwin fan til today Who knew?

Perfect for a sunny and warm Sunday morning. If there are any more 3 hour albums on this list, it’d better be someone as magnificent as Ella Fitzgerald. Btw, it’s amusing that the most popular review here is basically calling people who’s giving it a 5 spineless and giving it a 1 in “protest”

These are really beautiful compositions, elevated by the amazing Ella Fitzgerald. I listened to the first 2 discs while baking and then had to get on with my day, but I will get back to the rest as time allows.

Очень старый Голливуд. ОЧЕНЬ много песен. За чистый объем и в целом общее удовольствие можно ставить миллиард звезд, но я совру, если скажу, что эти тысячи часов пролетели совсем незаметно. Вот не связанный с этим альбомом, но всё же любопытный(!!!) эпизод: я разделил нежный/страстный момент с женщиной под песни Car Seat Headrest, в частности значительную часть Beach Life‐in‐Death. Невероятно! Но абсолютная правда! Лучшая песня - Let's Call The Whole Thing Off.

1001 Albums To Listen To Until You Die. I'm not sure whether I'll finish this whole list or this one album first.

Fantastic body of work. Lot of material to digest though and some songs aren't as strong as others, but the strong ones are actual classics so...

La voix d'Ella Fitzgerald est caressante, les textes sont spirituels, la musique espiègle. On passe au fil de ces 6 disques par tous les états émotifs. Un pur plaisir.

Good but too long

This album took me a good 5 days to go over - being composed of 4 discs. I only went over 3 of them, + “Somebody loves me” and “Cheerful little earful”, since others were simply alternative versions of the previous songs. I am personally a big fan of jazz, Ella and Gershwin, being an aspiring jazz vocalist myself. Ella has been a big inspiration to me for the past few years that I’ve immersed myself into the jazz scene. She is truly an incredible singer - I’ve only good things to say about her. The album overall was very cohesive and was composed of all of the jazz standards. The main theme seemed to be love and all of the songs had a very positive note to them. Overall I’d say I really enjoyed it, except for maybe the fact that the album was really long and all the tracks quite similar, so sometimes it was really hard to distinguish the songs from each other and I got bored, which was also part of the reason why the album took me so long to listen to. My favorite has to be “Embraceable you”, simply because I’m learning it in class right now :))

Uma das mulheres que abriram as portas para muitas outras mulheres negras, junto com Sister Rosetta!

Meh

This isn't really an "album" in the contemporary sense, though it certainly bridges the era of literal albums-of-78s and the format that was perfected in the 60s. It needs to be here, however. The signature Verve-style arrangements are a little to schmaltzy to my ear, but Ella is perfect and this songbook is rightfully canon. I don't think I'm going to rip through the whole six-disc set in one sitting ever again, but I'll definitely revisit these tunes often.

I like this material, but a 4 cd box set that you have to hear and rate in a day is like one of those restaurants that will give you the 96 ounce steak for free if you eat it in 60 minutes. Even if you like steak/Ella, it's too much for one sitting.

Not my style

This is an example of good enough to be 3 hours long

Timeless album would recommend

was i able to finish it one go? of course not but i made it through half of it in a day💪🙂‍↕️ Do i trust her enough to believe that the rest of it will also be great and promise to come back to finish it another day? hell yea love her and her lovely voice <3 would still delightfully listen to her if she just read me a very long grocery list

so long i didn’t get through the whole thing, but i think i got the just when i was 2.5 hrs in

This is not a compilation despite what some reviews are saying. It is a pretty great artistic statement done at scale. I recommend not trying to listen in one sitting. The 'Did not listen' button is super handy for an entry like this. I listened over three sittings but I could just as easily imagine sprinkling it throughout a full week's worth of listening. In fact I probably didn't do some of these perfectly sung and arranged witty songs justice even at that pace.

4/5

If you only take one album with you yo a desert island let it be this one because it will take all day. Still, what an undeniable voice

Gefällt mir gut :-D

Ok, first off—hooray for Ella Fitzgerald! She’s an incredible artist, and I’m not taking anything away from her, but man was this a long album. Three hours and fifteen minutes stretched across six discs, with a total of fifty-nine songs. Unless you’re a die-hard purist, that’s just excessive for just about anyone. This was an endurance test disguised as a jazz album! What an exhausting listen. I’m giving myself a well earned pat on the back for making it all the way to the end!

This is less an "album" and more a library. I managed to get through a lot (23 tunes) before I needed a break. Although great songs and an incredible voice the thing that broke me in the end was the repetitiveness of the band. The same taddah wham pow Nelson Riddle arrangement got tiresome. But did anybody ever expect to listen to this end to end? If you treat it as a library and pick a song or a side then it's a classic

Pretty good jazz album but 3 hours is excessive, I listened to about 30 minutes to get the idea. The rest is probably just as god.

Oh boy, here we go. With very few exceptions, I typically listen to these albums from start to finish. Gulp. I first developed an appreciation for the Gershwin brothers in 2011 when I helped with a local production of Crazy For You. It was nice to hear those songs again on this album. I always loved "Slap that Bass" and "I Got Rhythm." Of course, several of the other songs here should be familiar to even the most musically ignorant person. Ella's voice sounds beautiful on every track and the music accompaniments are perfectly charming. I forewent listening to disc 6 since it's just instrumental songs, although I did listen to one and it sounded nice. There's no way in hell I'd listen to this whole thing again, but I'll probably hang onto to some of the songs that were in Crazy For You.

Trudno to ocenić jako płytę, bo trwa milion godzin. Gdyby była krótsza dałabym 5 gwiazdek, bo kompozycje Gershwina i głos Elli to złoto. Ale to trwało pół dnia i pomimo swojego uroku zaczęło się ciągnąć. Ileż można sobie wyobrażać, że gra się w starym filmie? 8/10, chociaż jeszcze raz podkreślę - sama Ella zasługuje na 10/10.

Usually not my kind of music and also this is way too long. I have to admit that it is quite good though.

Loved it! I'd heard many of these before, but they really are some of the best arrangements I've heard for Gershwin period. "Let's call the whole thing off" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" are probably my favorites, but it's a wonderful listen through the whole songbook!

I can’t dedicate to an album 3.5 hours duration. I quite like Ella doing Gershwin as a bit of cafe Kelvinos background music. So… it’s a 4 with caveats based on “best of” tunes

8/10. Great voice.

very good. very long for sure. i thought this was beautiful and lovely. i would give it a 5, but this is not the kind of music i would listen to again and also it was so long

Was too long to get through

I like Ella, Gershwins and 50s jazz, so this one was solid.

Sublime and sweeping. The perfect soundtrack for a melancholic wet Sunday.

There is no denying the power that is Ella Fitzgerald; there is, however, at least inside of me… denying the length of a three-hour album. I went with the condensed Very Best of the Gershwin Songbook and got a far better, more streamlined experience. If I’m wrong for it? Only Ella can judge me. We really had the best of it all with Fitzgerald, Armstrong, Ellington, Coltrane, and so many more from that period… unimpeachable works of art that deserve to be put in museums and cherished. In my heart, Ella Fitzgerald is a 5-star artist but this album as is can’t be a full fiver, mainly due to accessibility. Nobody’s sitting down on a Sunday and clearing a massive chunk out of their day just to listen to music.

ilgai reikėjo kol perklausiau, bet visiška ramybės vakarienei gaminimo albumas

Lovely voice. Nice short album

They don't make music like this anymore. If I'm listening to the correct album, it is several albums and it goes on forever. I just let it play and went for a long walk. Classic songs from a beautiful singer. I'm more of a Billie Holiday fan for this style of music, but Ella is a legend. 4.

Ella is a beast. This one definitely goes in the 'they don't make them like they used to' category. Ella makes it sound effortless. Recorded in 1959 so my guess is that things like auto tune and pitch correction were not a thing at the time. You just had to know your shit. Real instruments, real singing...and musical arrangement by the guy that brought us the masterpiece that is Rhapsody In Blue. Hard to go wrong with this kind of personnel.

Great voice but the songs do get a little repetitive for me.

A monster of a listen. An absolutely beautiful anthology clocking in at well over 3 hours. Ella Fitzgerald elevates the music of Gershwin with her immaculate vocals. The production is clean, and the collection is beautiful to listen to. The only downside is that this isn’t so much an album as a collection of work- a legacy piece. I’m not sure what the criteria are for this list, but I would argue that anything more than a double album is not really an album.