The Gershwin Songbook

Didn't have a chance to listen fully at this time but high remarks for what I heard!

Pretty good, very long.

Nice but that's a lot of songs.

clever lyrics with excellent singing; the music is not that engaging to me but in terms of a popular style, it was a core classic form and worth having heard.

What a sweet voice! And great orchestrations of some classic songs.

this album is a monster. The compositions are Gershwin so they're classic and Ella is one of the best singers in the genre so it just gives you great jazz standards

Voice like a bell. Way too long for anyone to listen to in one sitting, but every song is perfectly sung.

Classic crooner jazz. What really makes this are the vocals, she has an absolutely lovely voice. This album made me feel nostalgic even though I’m in my early thirties.

This is a big collection of great standards. And Ella is without question a great and unique artist. Her voice is always beautiful, precise, and so joyous. She is at her best when swinging and scatting. She is also backed by a superb band. But most numbers don't swing that hard and Ella doesn't let loose jazz-wise much. And over a range of songs Ella is mostly unwavering in her style. Even when the song is more bluesy or somber, she does not seem capable of reigning in the joy in her voice to express other emotions. She sings all the songs as if she is singing a lullaby to a child. 4.4

Behöver inte ens motivera - skivan med Louis är dock bättre, så därför bara en 4:a Minus —>går nästan in i någon ”amerikansk hemmafru” stereotyp av att lyssna🥶👀 Bästa låtar: Nice work if you can get it, That certain feeling, He loves and she loves, Boy what love has done to me (!!!!), I got rhythm, Somebody loves me

Väldigt bra album o Ella Fitzgerald äger, men, albumet var alldeles för långt, många låtar var snarlika och vad hade disk 6 för funktion? Ella var ju inte med där Aja albumet var ändå så pass bra att det får en fyra Det var svårt att välja bästa låtar eftersom det var så många, men Bästa låtar: Let’a call the whole thing off, I’ve got rythm

Didn’t make it all the way through yet, but I will. A classic, perfect for this sunny afternoon.

Over 3 hours?Who could listen to all of this? How could anyone create that much? Bring me a bib! I am down for this buffet - best voice and best arranger... like a fine wine (or whatever your desire wants)

What a voice.

Not sure why we needed a 6-disc compilation. She has a lovely voice and sings lovely songs.

Für das Alter wirklich großartige Musik. Toll gesungen, gut arrangiert. 4/5

Her voice will always be one of the most clear, full, and heartfelt in the time of big band music. So many people tried to copy her but there is only one. A lot of her lyrics make a great effort at turning big feelings or problems into funny little small things and laughing off your trouble.

LIstened to 1/3d. Beautiful voice but too much too tackle in one sitting

great for the genre, not my favorite genre

When you play this the spirit of Nora Ephron appears and conjures a screenplay starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan before your very eyes. She’s incomparable with any contemporary artists, but this is a lot of music.

Day 32 of listening to 1001 albums, one album at a time. I have to be honest I didn’t listen to the full version. I truly don’t think you should either. Don’t get me wrong you can, Ella Fitzgerald is probably one the greatest singers of the 50s. However I chose to listen to the Very Best of The Gershwin Songbook which I think condenses it and a pretty nice 50 minutes long album giving only the greatest of Fitzgerald. The Gershwin Songbook is a great album and Fitzgerald not only inspired so many other singers to come but also set the tone for the 50s with all she did in this album. If I could use an album to describe a time period it would be this album. Personally I think it’s fine if you choose to listen to the whole album, the very best or parts of the whole album. I don’t think Fitzgerald ever really intended someone to listen to whole thing in one sitting. So I think for a 70 very old album it’s still is so fantastic.

7.5/10

Didn't listen to the whole thing, too many discs

good

How many reviewers among those who gave a 4/5 or 5/5 mark to this release listened to the latter until the instrumental pieces conducted by Nelson Riddle on disc 6? Yes, disc *6*! Pretty sure there's not many of them. Technically, *The Gershwin Project* is not a compilation, contrary to what some complainers on this app grumbled about. It's a discrete project assembling recordings made for a year that were all designed for this "anthology" boxset. The thing is, the complainers might still have a point here: can you consider this mammoth project as an "album"? I mean, really? Isn't the length of the whole thing jeopardizing its inclusion in the list? Sacharine jazz ballads and big band shenanigans for the livelier cuts are the two mandatory modes explored in this gargantuan set of records making the best of its orchestral personel. The good news is that, for the first two discs at least, there's enough variety and invention infused into the songwriting and performances to make far less repetitive than expected. A stellar string of key staple songs on the first side of the first record also nicely propels the whole shebang: the languid "But Not For Me", the dreamy "The One And Only", "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" and its iconic "tom-EI-to" / "To-MAH-to" routine, that most listeners already know, "Beginner's Luck", "Oh Lady Be Good", " Nice Work If You Can Get It"... On disc 2, the impressive "The Man I Love" ups the ante, and takes the symphonic /orchestral proceedings a notch further, from the impressionistic, Debussy-indebted introduction to its epic climax at the end--all enhanced by so many intense chord changes. George Gershwin was undoubtedly a master when it came to mixing jazz and classical vocabularies. And elsewhere on that second disc, the witty lyrics of his brother Ira also provide many memorable moments, as in "By Strauss", "They All Laughed", "My Cousin In Milwaukee", or "Somebody From Somewhere". So when the genius of the two brothers work in perfect unison, as in the third disc's "A Foggy Day" (also an iconic cut), you have the best of what this "songbook" can offer you. The problem is that it's a near-impossible task to digest those five or six discs in one sitting, as imaginative as the Gershwin brothers are in that admittedly "restricted" and "retro" genre. After a while, all the sophisticated arrangements and cutesy turns-of-phrases tend to blur into each other. And so do the tunes. What's really at fault here is the all-encompassing presentation: what should churn out musical sparks come off as all-too "calculated", as if George and Ira were some sort of maths geniuses applying formulas to create all those similar-sounding tracks, somehow ruining their potential emotions (hence the pretentious use of French "high art" for the album cover?). It's too much in one single serving. To the point that you might find the relish a little too sickening. What's left in your memories is Ella Fitzgerald's perfect voice, the sweet inflexions of the vocal performance--its crooning, the winks, the sheer emotion and the whimsical feeling said performance conveys depending on the tune. She's hilarious in " Let's Call The Whole Thing Off", vulnerable in the ballads, and sensual in the sexier cuts. But even someone like Ella can't bring the dynamics this overlong tracklist needs. Except for some hardcore jazz / classical fans, this boxset might therefore be useful only to play some unobtrusive soundtrack on a sunday afternoon--with many, *many* cuts that will never force your attention towards them. Moody for sure. But "essential"? So shall we "call the whole thing off" or "call the calling off off" ? The jury's still out on this one. To be fair I didn't have the time to listen to the fourth and fifth discs, which is a shame since that means that if hidden gems are hidden there, I couldn't listen to them. Just like a lot of people in here, I will give a "good grade" for the overall presentation and talents involved, and then move on to another thing. Wish there was an Ella Fitzgerald album that is a middle ground between the grand yet flawed ambitions of this project and, say, the succint, straightforward and streamlined-to-a-fault "Ella and Louis (Armstrong)" records. Maybe there is one. But this list here has yet to provide its name for me. Number of albums left to review: 158 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 364 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 213 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 269

I really enjoy Ella Fitzgerald, and this was a very lovely listening experience. She’s pretty awesome. Total Sunday morning soundtrack. In the context of this project and my general attention span however, it’s soooo long. I listened to the whole thing, but it started to feel like a slog. Some really great songs on here though!

Some great songs but not sure I’ll listen to it again lovely songs for background music but too long - did not make it through the whole thing.

that's a lot of goddamn songs. it doesn't show its age, still sounds good today.

I found a much shorter compilation album on Apple Music. I don't want to listen to 3+ hours of this, but Ella's voice is just delightful. Timeless, and a wonderful listen.

4 stars

There a certain level of class involved with making this type of music, that just emanates through the speakers. Back when only professionals had the ability to make music. Now anyone can do it, and that's not a bad thing, but we have lost this type of music forever. A starlet sings the tunes of the great composers. Little Ella is magnificent!!

Lang man Wel nice

4.0

I’m at a 3.5 that I'll rather kindly bump up to a 4. Let me just be clear: no chance in hell I was gonna listen to the whole thing; I listened to a “best of” version that was only 45 minutes, and I get the distinct feeling that if I had listened to the whole thing, then… I dunno, who knows, maybe I’d somehow get to a 5. From what I heard, this is super nice though. The orchestra does a great job of bringing these pieces to life, and I’m sure Ira Gershwin had a big say in the way all of these were recorded. Ella Fitzgerald… I’ve never heard her voice before today, for whatever reason. My goodness, what a voice. I don’t know how many more albums she has in these 1,001, but I hope it’s enough to hear more of her, and more of her doing contemporary music instead of more 1920s and 1930s standards. Seriously, she kind of carries this album, but she shares it pretty equally with the instrumentation as well – I’m such a sucker for this sort of era because it really does feel long gone, even if these compositions have a timeless feel. Yes, there are cheesy lyrics on this album, and yes, some of these songs have lulls here and there, but I just really enjoyed listening to… you know, 45 minutes of what’s a roughly 3 hour album, but I digress. It’s pretty damn good; it’s nowhere near a 5 for me, but it’s enough of a spectacle and a window into the past that I can’t help but appreciate it. I’m good with a 4, and I think it’s worth being on the list.

3.8/5. listened 1x. great album but quite long (3h+)

I diligently listened to all 3 hours and 14 minutes of this album. Ella Fitzgerald’s voice is as close to perfect as I’ve ever heard. The songs are warm and nostalgic - my grandma plays this sort of jazz singer music at dinner parties, and I’m sure I’ve heard some of this album in that context. It feels fitting that this popped up on my dad’s birthday, who also loves this genre. This probably deserves 5 stars and I’m being unfair; I’m docking one because some of the lyrics are a little silly (not that it really matters for the kind of music it is), and because I was admittedly a little miffed at the length of the album when the songs were all pretty similar. It’s clearly not intended to be listened to in one sitting like this - like I said, unfair - but that’s what I did. This would be a nice one to have in my personal collection. It’s like the musical version of a security blanket.

muy bonito pero dale tanto vas a tener para decir! no tengo mucho tiempo piba!! 8/10

Ella Fitzgerald's voice is incredible, and the instrumentation is incredibly jaunty. The fact that this album is over 3 hours long means that it's impossible to listen to unless it's wholeheartedly relegated to background noise. Thankfully, it makes perfect background noise, and I got plenty of work done with Ella in the background.

very very long but good music

Long as hell, but mostly good

Ella singing classics. What else can be said.

Ella Fitzgerald is a great singer, and this album is varied enough that it doesn't get too repetitive. This album is VERY long, but the sequencing is good enough that it doesn't feel too bad, especially as background music. The backing band is also very good, and complements her voice well. 3.5

pleasant music for a rainy day

Listen, I love Ella. I'm a swing dancer by training and have listened to her for hundreds of hours, probably thousand+ now. However why did they choose this as her representation? I like Gershwin as well but why choose the over 3 hour long compilation. It is great stuff but couldn't they find a better version like Ella and Basie! which is much shorter (40 minutes) and more coherent? I don't get it... it's fantastic music and I want to rate it 5/5 but it is too damn long and could have been pared down a lot.

Ella Fitzgerald is the greatest American vocalist that's ever lived. These recordings are excellent, the finest musicians of the time using incredible analog equipment. This brought back many fond memories of my grandfather and his kick ass stereo.

A ré écouter mais très bien

Listened to the first of the four (five) LPs that comprise this, I think. The Apple Music version did not include the instrumentals at the beginning, but you can find those on a different release if you want to be a completist. Glad to be exposed to this. What Pop was before the rock era, this is definitely a work of art. You can't find fault with Ella Fitzgerald, or the band. Perfect execution and this was the peak of Jazz as a popular music form. A type of literature, music school is still teaching this for sure even though it is really no longer in the pop idiom. Which is a bit disappointing considering the level of talent here. Again, glad to get it on the list. Was meditating on the question of "How would you feel if today was your last" and I was definitely glad I heard this before I died. Good to see this on the list, I think eventually I will play the rest.

So beautiful and classic

Is it long? Absolutely. Do all the songs start to sound the same after a while? ABSOLUTELY. Does Ella Fitzgerald make it still pleasurable???? ABSOLUTELY!

So good and nothing synthetic here. Even heard 2 tunes I never heard before. Ella was masterful. Gershwin songbook was a reminder of my parents playing music on the Victrolla. The albums all lined up on the circular table rack.

It's all great, but it's too much. Favorite song: promenade

Non l'ho ascoltato tutto ma il godimento prepotente, 4 a fid

Spotify only has the 4 hour extended cut but they’re good songs. Lots of love songs. Very similar sounding but not unpleasantly

I was kind of surprised to find that this record didn't start to overstay its welcome of the most part, it was really only the latter half of it did I just sort of lost interest but even so there's plenty of gems to be found on here. Ella's wonderful voice more than manages to elevate these songs alongside the pleasantly surprising variety in the instrumentals and melodies on here, though that is largely thanks to the large catalog of songs that is used on here. Admittedly some of these songs are more mellow than others, and lyrically some of them are kind of cheesy (I mean sometimes they just sort of name drop historical figures as metaphors for the themes of certain songs on here, which I just sort of found a bit amusing), but it is a rather solid listen. Now with all that being said, I don't think I'm ever going back and listening to this whole damn thing again considering its monstrous 3+ hour length. Also I can completely live without the disc with entirely instrumental tracks.

Estas cosas más clásicas se necesita que alguien te guíe para no ir por el mal camino. Qué bien suena incluso con auriculares!!! Hay quejas de que es muy largo, pero al fin y al cabo es un todo, es como quejarse de la obra de un compositor clásico. Merece la pena escucharlo aunque sea en varias sesiones.

Gut, aber auch etwas lasch

Amazing. 59 songs from Ella was a delicious treat.

One of the most comforting voices in Jazz brings a great collection of standards delivered with such warm and sweet candor. Great, enjoyable album!

Obviamente no voy a estar 3 horas escuchando un álbum pero esta mal acaso reconocer la grandiosidad de cantantes clásicos como Ella Fitzgerald 🤨 @los señores que están en contra de los 5/5, miren le estoy poniendo 4/5 😝

If you ever said, “Damn, I wish I could hear Ella Fitzgerald sing the phonebook,” then this album is for you! To judge it as a singular body of work like any other album on this list feels deeply unfair, and maybe misses the point. It was always meant to be a “choose your own adventure” from a listener’s point of view where you stick to one LP or one side. I’d even argue it was never meant to be an album for public consumption, and that it was actually meant to be used as evidence of Fitzgerald’s importance within the musical/standards canon. That said, Fitzgerald can really sing a song, and these renditions are really a tight. There really is something for everyone here. Ten people could pull out their favorite 10 songs, and you’d likely have ten different new versions. Ironically, I think that’s why this works best in the context of modern playlists, where you can easily pull out your favorites and leave it at that. So yeah, I don’t love all 59 songs here. No one does. If they claim they do, I’d assume they’re just being pedantic and are afraid to disagree with highbrow-ism. There’s some discs I love, and some I hate, although there’s at least one song on each disc that I adore. Sitting and listening to it straight through is a pain in the ass; rating this as I would another album on this list feels oddly disrespectful, too, and judging it by those standards, sure, I’d give it a 3. But this wouldn’t be a 3 like my other 3s, because I’m not on the fence about whether I think it’s good or enjoyable. It would be a 3 by the standards I’ve set out because I don’t like more than 29 of the 59 songs here, although I do get right to that line. I also won’t revisit this as a single sit-through ever again, so long as I actually finish the challenge this go-around, so that also means it should be a 3. But again, that isn’t the point of this album, and I know that. Oddly, this does achieve my main rule for giving 4 stars – would I buy this on vinyl and actually play it? I 1000% would, and I’d be foolish not to if I found it in the bins. I do think there’s better albums to represent Ella, though, but then you run into questions of whether to also showcase other people at the same time, or just give Ella all the shine. Of the songbooks I’ve listened to before, this is my favorite, and contains 2 of my favorite songs ever (“They All Laughed” and “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off”), and both renditions are my favorite renditions of those tracks. It’s a hard one to judge, because I don’t regret listening to it. I think Ella Fitzgerald is wonderful, I love her renditions, and I like the Gershwin song book, even if it sounds same-y after 3.5 hours, but then again, anything would. At the end of the day, this is extremely good, and essential listening, but once you find the songs you like, you can just revisit those, or listen to this in bite sized pieces. The only real critique I [and most people] have is that it’s exhaustive, and not an album you sit down to listen to like others, but by acknowledging that, I feel better rating this higher as a collection of songs that are all great. But don’t listen to this in single sitting, or you will be annoyed.

You gotta love Ella, personally this album felt long to me.

I guess I got the abridged version at 45 minutes. I probably could have handled 3 hours. Ella Fitzgerald was a treasure.

At three hours, this is the biggest commitment of any album I've listened to so far. But Ella had a phenomenal voice that's worthy of the three hours. It's good background music for nighttime in the city. I may or may not have danced to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" in my desk chair.

Great voice. Long album

A wonderful compilation to re-introduce you to a queen of jazz that is still timeless today.

What an instrument. Ella gets all the stars. Marked down for some dated lyrics and over the top, stifling instrumentation. I wish they’d picked Ella & Louis.

After the first few songs, I was ready to give this album a 5 if it kept up the pace all the way through. And while you *could* say that it did, towards the second half of the album all the songs start to blend together, and there is very litte that makes each song unique. That's not to say that any of the songs are bad though, Ella's voice in undeniably one of the greatest of all time, and she really showcases that on every song. The strings sound great, and every instrument feels like it makes a worthy contribution. And I have to add, some of the lyrics on "Embraceable You" certainly are questionable, at least by today's standards. I wasn't alive in 1959 so maybe back then that was completely normal, I don't know.

Ella Fitzgerald's \"The Gershwin Songbook\" is a timeless classic that showcases her unmatched vocal prowess and interpretive skills. The album features Fitzgerald's enchanting renditions of George and Ira Gershwin's most beloved songs, including \"Summertime,\" \"Embraceable You,\" and \"I Got Rhythm.\" Fitzgerald's voice is rich, warm, and full of emotion, effortlessly gliding through each melody with grace and precision. The arrangements are lush and vibrant, perfectly complementing Fitzgerald's vocals. While some may find the album's focus on traditional jazz standards to be somewhat predictable, Fitzgerald's masterful delivery and the timeless quality of the songs themselves ensure that \"The Gershwin Songbook\" remains a captivating listening experience for fans of jazz and vocal music alike. 4/5

she is like butttttaahhhhhhh Loved this

So Good.

Great for extended background music, or perhaps a Sunday morning. There are some classics in here.

Lovely. Calm.

It’s a 5. Way too long, but I think it’s endearing here. Like buying the fast and furious saga. Long, but it’s a lot of a good thing

Man I love Ella's voice, but I hate anything after doing it for 3 hours straight. 5 stars for quality, dropped to 4 for unreasonable length.

3.5

I feel like there’s a disconnect between the lost and the generator here. I’m assuming the list wants me to listen to the 3+ hour box set but the generator sent me to a 50 minute best of which I feel isn’t really in the spirit of this list but I was already 40 minutes in by the time I realized there was a discrepancy and didn’t wanna try to restart with the long one, so this is a review of just the hits. Ella Fitzgerald has a great voice and it’s instantly disarming and relaxing to listen to. Feels like a nice cozy blanket or a warm crackling fire in the background with great orchestral arrangements to match.

This is just beautiful, this is the exact kind of jazz that i would listen without any trouble. The voice of Ella Fitzgerald is such an amazing thing, i love it, but i think that 3 and a half hours of this is a bit too much for me. Besides that this album is really, really great.

Stunning voice and enjoyable compositions.

I have a lot of love for Ella Fitzgerald and she’s a regular in my house to get the morning going. I hadn’t listened to this album and wanted to love it, but show tunes always remind me of the drama club kids who made the drama class I would have otherwise found delight in absolutely suck and I can’t help but have those animus feelings stirred listening to this, hence the markdown.

This album sounds like classical Hollywood and Christmas specials. Favourite track: Love Is Here To Stay.

This Ella is my queen I agree with the top review though there are better compilations that have seemingly been left our and I could honestly go for 3 more hours of this Ella voice and I understand the moral qualms with this pick but ALAS good music all the same and I think Ella American songbook is more iconic but this might be better. I would give this a 5 but I will give it a 4 in protest

American songbook jazz. Miss Ella Fitzgerald was a national treasure. Her tone is so pure and rich and her phrasing so phenomenal that she can elevate any song. The Gershwin songbook is classic (though I'm partial to Richard Rogers myself) and this record is a wonderful example of the entire genre.

Really enjoyed this! So cool that music as old as the 50s can be this timeless. Ella's vocals are powerful and controlled, combined over Gershwin (and other classical artists/pianists I'm not sure?) orchestration I think just ensures this will always be a classic. At this point in time it's just two classics colliding which makes for a great listen.

Of course beautiful soulful bluesy voice.

There's a lot here. Very impressed and surprised to like this a lot more that I was expecting to. Will listen to more of this and again in the future.

I couldn’t listen to all of it ( was this a quintuple album?). But, Ella has a wonderful voice and there was little degradation for the recordings). Four stars

I mean, how can you not enjoy this? Ella's voice is amazing, and the arrangements are pure class.

It’s good, it’s chill, she’s great. But it’s not the kind of thing I’d listen to often.

probably one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard

Sindre: - Alt for langt - For generic - Få gode sanger + Et par bangers Ella Fitzgerald Andreas (og sindre) : -veldig mye like sanger -For mye simpe etter random dude +passer bra til fancy vin middag

7.8

Great voice. Great music. Great women. Her music will always be great, throughout history.

An epic collection of the First Lady of jazz. Beautiful stuff. Ella never misses!

Long but classic

This made me want to wear a velvet blazer and eat spaghetti.

Expansive. Now maybe i csn pick gershwin out if songbook line ups. Gets a little samish and midtempo jailed. The lyricist brother was a rhyminal criminal ! So many puns and wild ast rhymes. Squawky gal from Milwaukee my fave. Succumba to the rhumba. S’exceptional ! Cheeky ast mfs

It was aight

She's wonderful.

4 out of 5. Nice but not my usual style.

Qualitativ schon toll, aber für mich weniger relevant

Beautiful album! Incredible voice 3.5

Velvet smooth voice, music is also in keeping with this. The spotify link is an abridged version, the version that is actually on the list is 3 hours long though. I'm not sure if it's a really an album at that point and I can't withstand 3 hours of the same kind of music, although it is easy to listen to so there is worse music to listen to for that long.

Loved the gentle, big band style of this- did remind me of Christmas music due to the arrangements and recording style, but that's no bad thing!

Sounds like Christmas and a Disney soundtrack had a child! Delightful

Not much to say - this is Ella at her finest singing, and of course Gershwin at his finest songwriting. I don't think it carries a ton of emotion, but I'm also not convinced it needs to. I am confused at the inclusion of a compilation rather than a studio album from Ella. Very consistent as Ella always is, but without impact on an album level. 8/10. Favorite Songs: Nice Work If You Can Get It, But Not For Me, A Foggy Day, They Can't Take That Away From Me No least favorite songs

Ya like jazz?

Mellow, calming, chill. Ella Fitzgerald has an amazing voice & the big band instrumentation is nice.

A voice as comforting and graceful as a warm autumn afternoon.

I’m not gonna be a pleb like everyone else and complain about the length because it’s senseless, this is music from a far different time and a completely different consumer strategy. The fact that it existed in this form, and that so many sides was the intended format is pretty monumental in and of itself. Ella’s voice is outstanding here, as always, there’s a couple absolute classics as well as a number of intriguing curiosities present here. “Someone to Watch Over Me” is incredibly beautiful. This is a perfect album to tune in and out of cause you’re pretty much always liable to land on some interesting musical or vocal moment. My main issue, and admittedly I’m probably wrong for thinking this, but the Gershwin sound here just skews too close to show tunes or like musical theater to my ear to really genuinely please me. That’s not the case for everything, there’s a lot of classic standards, but again to my ear’s much of this skews less jazz classics and more broadway. That’s my own personal hindrance, otherwise this is really pleasant.

Was very much expecting it to be fairly decent background music, and last night with a glass of wine it was. But damn it has really clicked today during work and I just keep stopping to admire her voice and phrasing. Ended up spending the day with Ella. Enjoyed her bebop especially

Yes

I’m surprised how much I enjoyed.

Classic. I like

Ridiculously good voice, perfect songs to have on in a classy lounge

I listened to the abridged version. I dont think I could handle 3 hours of any album, no matter how good. That said, beautiful voice, great songs with some of them a bit too slow at times. Loved it, though.

Clear singing, very jazzy, grandparent music but Ella can sing quite a boppin' tune for sure

Don't listen to the extended album. YouTube Music and Pandora sends you to 59 and 73 song extended versions. Spotify will too at first so be sure to only listen to exactly Ella Fitzgerald The Gershwin Songbook with 12 songs. Beautiful voice, no question. A few songs got me dancing across the floor. 12 songs is just about right for this style though.

Good I guess, at least compared to the other albums so far

some songs were corny but those were the ones I liked haha

Its a classic!

just some good groovy swing with the great ella fitzgerald over the top :) Nice work if you can get it and Love is here to stay had some great melodies

chill, the greatest hits version is the way to go

Very enjoyable. Her voice was perfect.

Love Ella.

wunderbare Stimme, love songs. Gershwin for hours ist Geschmacksache. Irgendwann irgendwo zwischen genial und nicht mehr zu ertragen. Technische Qualität unbeschreiblich gut.

Ooooo too smooth like butter

Ella's voice is so smooth and is such a pleasure to listen to. Solid 9/10, I wasn't the biggest fan of I got rhythm but the rest are amazing.

She classic

When people say that music lacks class or substance in the modern world they would probably be pointing back to this record as the touchstone of those things. The purity of her voice is unmatched in the world.

She has beautiful voice but at moments it was a bit too slow for me. -8/10

Amazing voice (as we all know I guess), sounds so effortless. 9/10

8/10 - Extremely good but in a 3 hour album obviously some of the songs will be better than others. We sang let's call the whole thing off in like 5th grade and it was interesting to see what it was supposed to sound like.

Didn’t listen to the full 3 hour thing but the best of was pretty great 8.5/10

Ella fitzgerald's voice, first rate material and sympathetic, tasteful arrangements. Hard to get better than that. 4.5 stars

Normally i listen to something different - not Jazz. But it was ok

It’s Ella’s pure, clear, yet delicate voice for me that makes her forever my top girlie.

Incredible set of songs from an incredible artist. Too much to take in properly in one sitting so will be returning to this over time to experience more.

Quite a lot of tunes for an "album a day" list! But this was a fun listen. Great orchestration, and now I think I could pick out Ella in a blind listen.

ELLAAAAA i got rhythm- smiley ball. i like the bass. and of course her voice is heavenly. 7. oh lady be good- the strings are cool ummm its a little slow for my taste to be real but like its nice and soulful and umm yeah a 6 nice work if you can get it- um some folks are saying this album is 3 hours long? sorry to them ig but not doing that im just doing the 44 minute one. i like this i like how i can just sway to it. the horns and strings are really nice. i dont know how to describe things i like but whatever. motherfucker is that a clarinet? 6 the man i love- i do like this i think its sweet im just not one for a ballad particularly. idk how to explain this but this song is like a leaf dancing in the wing and falling to the ground. 5 love is here to stay- i love these horns. i like those hits that happen after shes finished the first verse or so. 6. but not for me- i fink this whole album is these slow love songs and i like those too but i like the livelier ella stuff yknow what im saying. like sometimes when shes singing you can hear the smile in her voice and it makes my heart melt. its probably the composer that is making all these slow ballads and its whatever i still like them just not what i usually reach for. i think this song was pretty standard like a 5 a foggy day- ummm i dont have a lot to say on this other then when shes about to say "foggy" i keep thinking she'll say "fucking". thats about it. 5 someone to watch over me- yuh. 5 fascinating rhythm- i like that bass. this is what ive been missing. 7. excellent use of the word patter. embraceable you- maybe the slowest song. maybe a 4 im sorry i was just so bored i almost fell asleep they cant take that away from me- um yeah 5 the ending is nice but yeah s wonderful- i think ive played this before in band. is this the dick van dyke theme one. so it was in fact not that. its nice though you can sway to it. 6 yeah

I listened to the "best of" 44 min version on Tidal. Amazing 4,5. However the three hour version might be guilty of repetitivity (will listen a weekend with time). I guess it will be a 4 strar album.

Ella Fitzgerald is like the greatest jazz singer of all time; this was enjoyable overall with smooth, nostalgic vibes.

I listened to the "Very Best" version instead of the box set, which is a good thing because I wasn't in the mood for 3 hours of Ella, no matter how good it was. I was happy to listen to this version with Ella at the height of her vocal powers and the songs felt like it was from an old soundtrack or stagey event, which is a good thing. Very easy-going listen from one of the true talents of her era. Sit back and enjoy!

I didn't listen to the entire 3 hour album and listened to what was on Spotify. I love Ella's voice and could listen to her sing anything.

Ella had a beautiful voice and this holds up well. A solid showcase of the talent found in the original recordings. For those interested the original release was around 3 hours long and is amazing in scope.

Superb. What a voice and sense of rhythm. Also very well produced for the era. 4 stars.

Classic big band sound with Ella’s beautiful vocals on top.

Ella kina goated tbh

Очень приятная музыка, хоть и не запоминающаяся. Единственное -- тупая песня про бананас-бэнэнас, но в остальном неплохо.

Sam and Delilah- 7/10 But Not For Me- 7/10 My One and Only- 8/10 Let's Call the Whole Thing Off- 8/10 (I've Got) Beginner's Luck- 7/10 Oh, Lady Be Good- 7/10 Nice Work If You Can Get It- 7/10 Things are Looking Up- 7/10 Just Another Rhumba- 8/10 How Long has This been Going On- 8/10 'S Wonderful- 8/10 The Man I Love- 9/10 That Certain Feeling- 9/10 By Strauss- 7/10 Someone to Watch over Me- 7/10 The Real American Folk Song- 9/10 Who Cares?- 7/10 Looking for a Boy- 7/10 They All Laughed- 9/10 My Cousin in Milwaukee- 8/10 Somebody from Somewhere- 7/10 A Foggy Day- 7/10 Clap Yo' Hands- 4/10 For You for Me for Evermore- 7/10 Stiff Upper Lip- 9/10 Boy Wanted- 6/10 Strike Up the Band- 9/10 Soon- 7/10 I've Got a Crush on You- 7/10 Bidin' My Time- 7/10 Aren't You Kind of Glad We Did?- 6/10 Of Thee I Sing- 7/10 The Half of It Dearie Blues- 9/10 I Was Doing all Right- 7/10 He Loves and She Loves- 6/10 Love is Sweeping the Country- 8/10 Treat me Roughly- 7/10 Love is here to Stay- 7/10 Slap that Bass-8/10 Isn't It a Pity- 7/10 Shall We Dance- 7/10 Love Walked On- 8/10 You've Got What Gets Me- 7/10 They Can't Take That Away from Me- 7/10 Embraceable You- 7/10 I Can't Be Bothered Now- 7/10 Boy What Love Has Done to Me- 5/10 Fascinating Rhythm- 6/10 Funny Face- 7/10 Lorelei- 8/10 Oh So Nice- 7/10 Let's Kiss and Make Up- 9/10 I Got Rhythm- 8/10 389/530

jazz at its finest

It's Ella, so great stuff. Though I like her albums that have straight up jazz bands backing her. This particular album has arrangements and a backing band that were a little more pop. But still great stuff.

Kitchen Music

Ella voice is wonderful of course. Smooth. Her phrasing is great. However many of the songs are boring and you really need to be in the mood to listen to this music. I wasn’t today.

Yeah, this is great! What a wonderful voice and beautiful music to set the scenery. Very mellow melancholic songs perfect for a fall/winter evening. 8 out of 10

Beautiful crooned melodies over iconic arrangements. Fitzgerald had one of the most recognizable and unforgettable voices of all time. Nothing to dig into too deep here. Maybe this is an album where it’s either your thing or it isn’t, but I’d wager that anyone who says they don’t like this is lying to themselves.

Life tastes a bit sweeter when soundtracked by the First Lady of Song’s renditions of these timeless jazz standards.

Took me a few days to take it all in. Some great songs on this.

3.6/5 Best track: Oh, Lady Be Good

classicos

Ik snap het niet helemaal, ik zie andere reviews praten over drie uur, maar blijkbaar is dit veranderd naar een Best Of van het album van 3 uur? Dat is gewoon raar. Verder natuurlijk super fantastisch mooi dit. Ik zou het direct 5 sterren geven, als het geen compilatie was. Zo kan ik het ook, alleen het goede plukken en de mindere dingen weglaten. Aftrek: 1 ster.

C'est un 5 clairement mais caline 3h ahah je le descend à 4.75 pour ça. Belle musique d'ambiance à écouter pour.une belle.soiree de Noël !

She's great. It's a mood. Can't put this record on at any old time.

iconic classic everything

What a beautiful sound her voice is

Extraordinary voice extremely ordinary song writing

I really like it. Even though I’m not much into Jazz

Sets the mood very well, and Ella Fitzgerald's voice is beautiful.

Ella set the bar for jazz vocalists. Truly gorgeous stuff

She is one of the goats of big band/jazz. This was a really great chill album. Really like the vibes and feel of this album. Was... cozy. Would be nice to experience what it was like back then, but like without all the downsides. Overall very enjoyable. A Solid 4/5

Lovely for Sunday night listening. Would revisit this album to have in the background at family gatherings or when I’m next sorting the sock basket.

Ella Fitzgerald's voice is actually perfect. Very pretty collection of songs.

Very smooth and accomplished and certainly good value for money though (over 3 hours). Some good hits in there too although after a bit it sounds a bit samey (sorry).

Classic standards. I love this type of music around the holidays. It's not exactly holiday music, but it's great for cooking and baking with family or playing overhead while shopping in a department store or mall. I'm not the biggest holiday music fan, so this big band, jazzy sound is a great substitute. And Ella's voice is just so smooth. What's not to love about this album?

Only giving 4 stars because of the length. Perfect for my morning walk

Very nice, relaxed

Goeie ouwe jazz waar je wel even zin in moet hebben maar als je er zin in hebt dan is het wel erg lekker

Today’s album is 3 hours long. I can’t exactly say I’m thrilled with that, especially since I listen to a different album every day so it’s not as if I’ll be spreading it over several days. I feel exhausted just looking at the track list, but I’ll try my best with this. Songs I already knew: Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off Favourites: Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off, The Real American Folk Song Honestly, this album was pretty delightful. Obviously, it is exceptionally long, but the variety between songs means it takes a long time to outstay its welcome. However, at around the 2 hour mark I was definitely getting bored, so it does get a bit much to listen as one full album. The music itself reminds me a lot of when I used to watch Family Guy and they would throw in occasional jazz songs. They definitely took a lot of inspiration from artists like Ella Fitzgerald.

Sublime…

What a queen 👑

Match made in near heaven

Favorite tracks: Nice Work if You Can Get It; A Foggy Day; Embraceable You

Essential Tracks: I Got Rhythm (Playlist) Love Is Here To Stay Embraceable You They Can’t Take That Away From Me

Warm and cozy. I should revisit it on a snuggly weekend.

I was only presented with the Ella Fitzgerald "best of" album, but the full song book version. She's got such an amazing voice, and each track was just beautiful.

I didn't listen to the 3-hour version, but the shorter 57 minute version. While not the kind of music I would ever choose, it was like listening to a warm hug on Christmas and I enjoyed my brief time with this album. The woman could sing!

Would have been 5 stars if it hadn't been over 3 hours long - so many terrific songs, but they all just run together at this length. Standouts I'd never heard before: A Foggy Day, Stiff Upper Lip, I've Got a Crush on You, Treat Me Rough, Slap that Bass

Very sweet.

Ella's voice just makes you want to grab someone special and sway.

I mean, it’s Ella Fitzgerald singing the great American songbook. How could you dislike it? As Ciara said, it’s very cozy music and Ella in general always reminds me of Christmas music because I think that’s where you hear her most these days. But every song is great, and there’s some timeless classics here I caught myself singing along to (Nice Work if You Can Get, for one). This album is a classic.

Album als Vinyl bestimmt gut. LaFreak ist definitiv der bekannteste Song vom Album

Fantastic

Ljúft og gott. Eðalrödd!

Didn’t expect to get an album over three hours long! Very good though.. her voice is perfect. Reminds me of Christmas shopping. Or winter in the city. Not SURE I’d listen again but I might. Leaning 4-5 stars

Long. Some good songs

Really just amazing. Nobody could capture the range of emotions of these songs quite like Ella. The songs are all smartly arranged around her emotional forwardness and it's just lovely to hear

She is such a good singer. Her scatting is unparalleled. I kind of wish there was some more uptempo songs, a lot of the album is slow and beautiful, but they all blend together. Oh, Lady be Good legit gave me chills.

Brand new, nice change

Love her

Good album, not a style of music I would typically listen to.

What a voice! Classics on here.

Very soothing, relaxing, sound.

Wundervoll entspannter Jazz von Wohnzimmer bis Empfang immer gut für zwischendurch.

JAZZZZZZ: luckily I was not given the task of listening to the full three hour version of this album but instead I got to listen to some of the best bits of this album. I love some good jazz and an icon such as Fitzgerald will never be bad. Could stick this on in the background and just enjoy the whole thing as much as the full album. I love jazz man.

It was beautiful with some great arrangments.

Stunning voice! Disc 1: Some beautiful songs. Very Atmospheric! I feel like I'm in the 50s. Themes: Love (dependency), Loneliness

Is Ella Fitzgerald extraordinary? Of course. Is Gershwin a great composer? Damn sure. Does this have to be 3 hours long? Not really. It's unfortunate because the best songs are just drowned in the noise. If you need something nice and cuddly for a long study session this is your jam.

Ella Fitzgerald, the Gershwin’s and Nelson Riddle. What a combination. Exquisite singing, iconic American standards, and gorgeous arrangements. This is excellent all around, and sure, did we need over three hours of this? Well probably not, but also yes, we did. This is definitely worth hearing in full at least once in a lifetime. It’s sheer breadth and depth is incredible.

4/5. A beautiful collection of soft and powerful ballads. Love the smooth way she sings and the great instrumentation backing her. Not a bad song but not every one is a banger. Hard to feel like it’s perfect because you do need to be in the mood for slow. Great nonetheless.

A wonderful album to have on in the background and be surprised by throughout an afternoon. Talk about value! 3 full hours of Ella Fitzgerald through the highs and lows. I bet in the 50's this series of albums was sought after due to the spectrum of musical moods that the album touches and the wonderful performances Ella continues to put forth with delightful instrumental work. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Not really that into it if I'm considering adding this to my go-to playlist. However, the vibes this whole album gives is very very specific and I might play it when reading a book or something. Maybe I'm just uncultured but um yeah this isn't exactly my jam on the daily. Not saying the album is bad, no. The singer, from what I read, is a freaking g and is a legend and she is very talented. Her voice is very nice but yeah....These types of songs remind me of the songs the old generation around me listen to and it isn't the vibe I'm usually going for. The ambiance this whole album gave me, like I've said, was very specific —like something you'll hear at fancy restaurants and like maybe backgrounds of films. Yep, I finished the album(I think). Still think the same.

It's Ella. Of course it's a good album.

8/10

Nice jazzy album smooth, great choice for a Sunday morning

-LOVEEEE ella fitzgerald -her voice is incredible and stunning -how could you listen to ella fitzgerald and NOT enjoy it -like CMON!!!!! -every song was genuinely so lovely -this is an easy four stars for me, could listen to ella fitzgerald forever and ever

Lovely if a little boring.

Beautiful album!

Musicals are very not my thing. Stuffing weird narrative dialog into a song feels false. With that out of the way, the songs on this album are tolerable enough. I like the slower, crooning ones best. Regardless of the naff lyrics Ella seems to posses several difference voices across all of these tunes. Artists like Elvis Costello have tried to pull this off but I've never heard anyone do it as well as she does on this recording. Also, the band sounds great and the recording does both the vocals and backing tracks justice.

Her voice is classic. Soothing and delicate yet powerful. Great recordings.

I listened to the "Best of" instead of the 3 hour box set because I'm not a masochist lol. Anyway, the rating reflects that. Ella has a killer voice and this was a really fun and pleasant listen.

Listened to over half of the songs on this album. Beautiful voice and music. Really enjoyed. 4/5

Day 103 I'll start by saying that Ella Fitzgerald is an essential listen: possibly one of the most influential singers of all time, hugely talented, and a very pleasant voice to the ears; there's really a good humoured sweetness in her voice pretty often and she manages to convey these songs wonderfully. I understand that she released albums as far back as 1947. That's crazy.  The Song Book was originally a set of multiple records but I don't know how many, in streaming services is a 3 hour plus set. Yes, it's very long. I listened to the whole thing but not in one sit, and I couldn't listen to it more than once; I also admit that I wasn't paying attention all along, but I wasn't annoyed either. As I said, everything is very pleasant, I just couldn't not be distracted over such a long period of time and if I didn't repeat the exercise is only a matter of the day being too short. The songs are also wonderful, beautifully written and very entertaining. I caught myself wondering if the Gershwins invented pop music with their blend of classical, jazz, and easy listening. Credits go to Nelson Riddle also, who wrote the orchestral arrangements. Definitely a must. 

9/10 smooth like velvet voice. nice jazz d'ambiance.

Soothing, romantic classics. Great for atmosphere.

I actually own this album, but haven't listened to it in ages and also never really sat down and listened properly all the way through. Annoyingly, I could not find my CD, so it had to be Spotify. I'm not usually a fan of artists who don't write their own music, but Ella Fitzgerald is and always has been the exception. I grew up with her (not this album- a hits compilation that my parents had), and she'll always have a special place in my heart. Even so, I don't listen to her often, but when I do, I'm blown away by her voice. I honestly have so much admiration for Ella and her voice. She is definitely one of the greatest vocalists of all time. I could go on for paragraphs about her obvious technical brilliance (her control, tone, versatility, emotion, inflections, and the ease with which she sings are enough to make most singers look amateur), but I think what makes her the exception to my tastes is that she's more than just a pretty voice. She has so much personality, and she invests that personality into every performance. She's an individual, and a true character, not afraid to be herself and having the time of her life doing it. She puts her whole being into every performance, and her joy is infectious. It's the most beautiful thing ever. You'll notice I rated this four stars rather than five, and that's because I'm not sure I can see myself listening to this every day. I probably will listen again because unfortunately, I was multitasking and wasn't able to give Ella's voice my full attention 100% of the time. However, the song writing is also a key part of this release, the way I see it. Man, the Gershwins wrote some funny songs. Definitely something which had to grow on me, and their style did significantly grow on me by the end of this 3 hour release. I still don't see how they're supposed to be one of the greats, though. Their songs tend to fall into two categories: slow ballads which are all quite generic and don't do anything unique, and upbeat ones with quirky or joking lyrics. The second category especially got on my nerves at first. I think what helped me appreciate the more upbeat, light hearted songs were that these are generally the ones Ella sings best. It felt like she was more authentically herself singing these songs, rather than playing the crooner on the slower numbers (although she does that well, too). In fact, several of the upbeat songs felt like they were written for her, although I know that's not the case strictly speaking. Nelson Riddle's arrangements also deserve a word. They were gorgeous and very atmospheric. Not sure of favourite tracks because I have a feeling that the ones I liked less were only because I wasn't giving my full attention (as I said, I was multitasking). Will have to listen again at some point.

first time listening favorites the man i love love is here to stay

How the hell are you going to put a whole ass box set on this list. I feel like that is some liberal interpretation of the term "album." And weighing in at a full minute longer than Titanic this is a fucking tank. That said, I'm two thirds of the way through the first disc and loving the experience. This era of jazz music has a particular elegance about it that is hard to deny and Fitzgerald has an all time voice for the genre. And yet, here I am before the close of disc 1 ready to move on. Given this, I'm not going to force myself through 2hr+ of music to come to the same conclusion I think I could render just looking at this on paper... As I said before, this is a wonderfully elegant sounding jazz collection and Fitzgerald no doubt deserves her flowers. That said, 3+ hours is too much to ask of any single listen; much less distill that listen into a single review. There is far too much room for bloat on the side of the recording and loss of attention on the side of the listener. Nor is there any through line for which to consume this as a single piece. I feel it ultimately unfair to give this a *real* review as compared to other actual albums on this list. Instead I'm compelled to review this as a box set -- a highlight reel of sorts capturing a long-winded collection of efforts that can be loosely bundled. And for that its hard to claim this anything other than a 4 (for me). The production is beautiful. The singing is phenomenal and her support is great. I think for the format this is a fine entry, but I reject this as an "album" to listen to.

-I've been trying to find something to listen to that isn't the same stuff I listen to all the time and this has been hitting the spot. -I feel like I am in a Fallout game lol. Favorite tracks so far: I Got Rhythm, But Not For Me, The Man I Love, Someone to Watch Over Me, Fascinating Rhythm.

Nao eh o meu estilo mas da pra apreciar

Beautiful soul

I listened to "The Very Best of the Gershwin Songbook" before I realized it was a 4 disc set that I don't plan on listening to. Some good morning tunes from a legend of American music. I have a lot of respect for early Jazz artists for practically giving American music an identity. Mostly listened to this as background music in the morning, and it made for a very enjoyable morning.

I was surprised by Ella Fitzgerald's voice. I was expecting a more powerful voice typical of black singers, but instead, I found a soft and captivating voice that I really enjoyed. As for the music, I only listened to the version of 'The Very Best,' so overall, it just serves as pleasant background accompaniment

la voce è meravigliosa e anche il sound.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Spotify only had a shorter version of Gershwin songs. Great singer. Interesting song choices.

A great collection of songs from probably my favorite female jazz vocalist. The band backing her up is phenomenal and I thoroughly enjoyed each song.

This is the first time I've seriously listened to Ella Fitzgerald and oh man, her voice is so SMOOTH. The melodies are just there, but her voice takes over and fills every song

gorgeous vocals and hypnotic arrangements. dreamlike sounds that make you feel as if you are floating on a cloud. soothing. authentic emotions such as longing, nostalgia, and sadness permeate throughout this album. stunning work. highlights: “i got rhythm”, “nice work if you can get it”, “embraceable you”.

This is good, big band, beautiful singing jazz, not the all over the place jam band style jazz I don’t like.. I like this a lot but a little goes a long way. Not something I’d want to listen to for 40 plus minutes at a time. And the version I was listening to, and it seems a lot of others were listening to, was the box set 3+ hour version. Regardless, this was an amazing singer singing timeless songs.

I think Ella Fitzgerald is one of the best female singers of all time. And she’s got great source material to work with on this record.

I would have preferred Ella does the Cole Porter, or Duke Ellington, songbook from the massive tome that is the Songbooks series. Regardless, her voice resonates through any chosen milieu.

I only get 'The Very Best of The Gershwin Songbook' so that's 44 minutes long. At that amount it's good. I'm not a huge jazz person, but I do enjoy it occassionally and this certainly fits! a lot! Saved tracks: I Got Rhythm, Love Is Here To Stay, 'S Wonderful

Wow that was amazing, the sheer length is all that brings it down from a 5.

Heerlijk wat is ze goed hea. Toch niet helemaal mijn muziek denk ik, want ik luister het bijna nooit

Prachtig. Transporteert je naar een andere tijd met vioolspel en Ella's stem. Vooral de nummers die iets meer up-tempo zijn, spreken me aan.

Lekkere stem, en hele gemoedelijke muziek.

Beautiful voice, it has a Christmasy sound to it. If I pretend like it’s Christmas I give it a 4/5

I like it!

Never heard this specific album before, but definitely heard these songs from various other artists. Rating this based on Ella’s voice alone rather on the merits of this 59 song compilation (which the site didn’t properly link). She could sing a song about anything and make it sound effortless and her own. A great singer is a master of tone, tempo, pitch and phrasing and Ella hits them all. Knocking one star off because hard to compare a compilation against other true albums.

A great showcase of her amazing voice and charisma. My only knock is that these songs have been done a million times. But I suppose that's in part due to these recordings.

Real good and I want to like it more, but felt a little like "going through the motions" with the choice of songs here. Maybe because I've heard them so often. It's a 3 for listening but 4 for legacy/talent so I will round up.

Amazing voice

Ella Fitzgerald er eins og Pavarotti, idealtýpa söng á ákveðinni tónlist. Ég get einfaldlega ekki ímyndað mér jazz án Ellu. Þetta samansafn inniheldu einu "réttu" túlkunina á þessum lögum. Mörg eru óborganleg, en þó ekki öll jafn eftirminnileg.

Is it me, or is it nearly impossible not to be happy when you listen to this woman sing...? Except then if you think about how she's dead now and all of that.. that's kinda a buzz kill.

Several of the albums I’m catching up on this week feature the Great American Songbook. It’s quite a snapshot and artifact of mid-century American culture. But likely no one sang better than Ella Fitzgerald. I could have done without the first two instrumentals and gotten right to Fitzgerald’s voice, but after that it was pretty sublime, if not something I’d often listen to.

Songbook, phonebook, sing anything you want Ella, I will listen.

Great stuff, fit the rainy day I had

A beaut of a collection of beaut songs

This is hardly an album but more of a curiosity and a truly great collection reflecting the American song tradition. I don't really care for the instrumental intro (or outro depending on track order), but as soon as Ella's familiar voice kicks in, everything settles into place. For most of the songs it's difficult to even imagine the renditions of anyone else. Her voice is smooth as silk and contains an incredible tenderness ('Embracable You'). My favorite tracks was 'The Real American Folk Song' with a captivating melody and a build up allowing Ella to show her full range from whispering to thundering.

Did I really need 3 hours of Ella Fitzgerald on a Thursday night? Apparently, yes.

first listen every Ella album is an instant classic

These song have stood the test of time for a reason. Amazing collection of songs sung by an amazing voice.

Ella has an amazing voice, the writing of the Gershiwns I'd fantastic, and the band is great. But 3 hours is a long time, by the end I felt like a recording engineer on his 5th pack of the day aching to get the session over with, with no care for how the rakes were. Fantastic music, but the wrong way to listen in the modern world.

Picturing myself in a dimly lit jazz cocktail lounge with a dirty martini in my hand......

Makes me wish it was raining and I was curled up with a good book

This album is pretty good. Ella Fitzgerald has got a really great voice, and the backing band is good. By the end of the album, the songs started blurring together for me, but I like the songs enough that it didn't bother me too much. 3.5/5 Favorite song: I Got Rhythm Worst song: Embraceable You

2/6/23 4/5 Favorite song: ‘S Wonderful I wish I was in a jazz club listening to the album because this woman is unparalleled

Ella is the epitome of classy music. This album reminded me of the movies I’d watch with my dad on TCM as a kid.

8/10 unsure whether we're meant to listen to the "Very Best of" album that the spotify link takes you to, or the whole damn thing that the Wikipedia link suggests. as I'm already behind on albums, I went with the shorter one and was not disappointed. I've always been a big Ella fan, and this was a great selection of tracks. Still, I wonder why Dimery and co. decided to break the general no-compilations rule for this, when Ella has plenty of great studio albums.

8/10. She really did just decide to sing every song. Very long to listen to in full, but great music.

Her voice is amazing and the album is relaxing while being interesting.

Mooy bueno, no sé s me mata tanto ella para una tarde de hacer cosas o trabajar.

The great American songbook. Ella's voice is awesome. The songs are iconic. It's really great.

Listening to a three hour album is outside of my interest for this genre of music. That being said, Ella has a voice that is transcendent. I love her sound. I wish she could have been free to sing her heart out without the cultural constraints of her time.

Beautiful, classic, timeless.

Classic songs, beautiful voice

Beautiful arrangements by Nelson Riddle, and Ella's vice is superb. However, an abridged version is recommended for listeners of this 1001 exercise - after the second hour I was seriously thinking of what else I could be listening to.

Great album

Ella Fitzgerald’s voice is expressive, and the big band piano, horns and saxophones of this album are comfort in times of confusion and anxiety. A simpler time is remembered and enjoyed through this recording.

Jazz del de antes.

Amazing voice and interpretation of a beautiful album.

The 1001 albums generator linked me to The Very Best Of The Gershwin Songbook, so that is the album that I listened to. I may at some point give a listen to the full three-hour album but I don't have the time to sit down with that in its entirety currently, and I'm sure The Very Best Of provides a good enough highlights compilation. This was very smooth, warm and soothing, and provided a great cooking soundtrack on a cold and gloomy winter evening. Really felt like all my worries washed away for a while. Not sure I'd listen to it day-to-day, but it really was quite beautiful. Favourite: Fascinating Rhythm

Love Ella

I bet I will like this: her Cole Porter songbook is one of my absolute favorites.

This album is 3 hours and 14 minutes long. However, the full version doesn't appear to available without buying physical media, and that is a bit too much of a commitment in this day and age. I therefore had to content myself with 45 minute "The Very Best of the Gershwin Songbook" on Spotify. I'd never heard of George and Ira Gershwin before this, but their songwriting talents are a match for Ela Fitzgerald's jazz vocal talents. A really enjoyable, chilled, classic listen which transports you back to the golden age of the silver screen. Easy glamour. I liked it a lot. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: A Foggy Day Date listened: 02/01/23

Didn't expect to vibe this as much, but I do! Thinking about adding it to my library.

The best singer in this genre, her voice is amazing, but it's not the sort of music I listen to casually so not a 5.

Very chill record. What a voice

Wonderful. Beautiful. Will listen to more of her

I definitely didn’t give this album the proper listen it deserved, and it probably should be a 5 star review, but after so long all the songs started to blend together. Ella has a beautiful voice, and the production was great. Maybe one day I’ll have the time to sit and really listen to this one.

It's Ella. How can you go wrong? Even if you don't like jazz, there's plenty here to enjoy.

Ella Fitzgerald is one of the best voices of all time

Just pretty straight up decent

4.0/5 The Gershwin’s write smart, playful and inventive lyrics. This is not my favorite collection of Ella songs, but her voice is a knockout. Standout Track: Nice Work if You Can Get It is a classic but Fascinating Rhythm was a hit for me that I was unfamiliar with

Dude! I was so happy with myself for catching up and actually listening to this album on the day it came out. Nope - apparently I'm still behind. But what's to say - this is good stuff. Reminds me of Christmas and Meg Ryan, as these albums tend to do, but no complaints here.

Nice, beautiful, pleasant music.

Très doux à mes oreilles

l’automne peut démarrer

Such a good album. Ella Fitzgerald is a relatable queen in her quest for true love. Standout tracks: I Got Rhythm, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Man I Love, A Foggy Day, 'S Wonderful

Great

Didn’t listen to all of this but I love Ella