Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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Ella Fitzgerald
If a better example of pre-rock-and-roll 20th Century popular music exists, I’d like to know about it. But, don’t knock yourself out trying to find it, because you’ll never convince me that anything comes anywhere near the scope of this collection. Simply put, Norman Granz, the producer/conceiver of these sessions and the owner of Verve Records, realized a concept that is so grandiose, so all-encompassing, so full of overwhelming talent, that it is without peer, both conceptually and in actuality. As hard is it may be for a contemporary (millennial) soul to comprehend, ‘pop’ music once incorporated the musings of Duke Ellington, the Gershwins, Cole Porter and each of the other brilliant, incomparable talents featured in this collection. Anybody who is even marginally interested in the history of music, both ‘popular’ and ‘artistic’, simply cannot claim competence without immersing themselves in this most remarkable of all thematic collections.
Thematic collections? This is an understatement of almost profound proportions, for which Norman Granz deserves his due. After all, it was his love of good music that led him to the point where he could credibly conceive of something so grand. At the time of its creation, Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most respected and well-received vocalists of all time. Her talents were beyond reproach, with a straightforward, pitch-perfect style that made her one of the most un-interpretable vocalists of all time; how do you imitate perfection? The only fault that was even remotely justifiable regarding Ella’s vocalese was her lack of overt stylization (except when scatting, of course). At her best, Ella sang a song as if the song was the point, somehow transcending her interpreting abilities. In this collection, Granz conceived of a series of records whereby Ella would sing (the emphasis here is on her singing, not her stylistic interpretations) songs by the most well received songwriters of the classic jazz/pop era. It is not a concept that should be underrated. Song stylists like Louis Armstrong or Billie Holliday (the two most phenomenal song interpreters of their era, perhaps of all time) would have used these songs to their own ends; a brilliant concept, of course, but one that rotates around the interpreter, not the song itself. Ella, first and foremost, allows the songs to speak. Even better, the songwriters’ voices transcend any coloration that is imbued on the material. This is, by definition, a collection of recordings that is meant to sound as good in the 31st century as it does today.
I don’t want to seem as though I am incapable of criticizing this collection for my awe of it, although that very nearly is the truth. For example, some songwriters are more deserving of the royal treatment than others are. The collections featuring the music of Cole Porter and Duke Ellington are so good, so incredibly potent, that they eclipse expectations and serve as textbook examples of brilliance in interpretation. The Ellington collection is made exhaustively profound because of the presence of the Duke himself as arranger (and composer of new work) on his featured collection. All fans of Ellington (and how could you possibly not be a fan of Ellington, his arranger Billy Strayhorn, and his band?) simply must familiarize themselves with this set of recordings; it is essential. The three CD’s that are dedicated to the collective genius of George and Ira Gershwin, with orchestrations arranged by the legendary Nelson Riddle, is the best and most compelling collection of their astounding genius, bar none. Others are merely brilliant, such as the Rodgers/Hart collection, which suffers only from a modern-day inability to grasp the spontaneity enveloping their work, allowing only a percentage of their collective genius ("Where or When", "My Funny Valentine," "It Never Entered My Mind") to filter through. Is every recording definitive? Decidedly not. Sinatra’s version of "Lady Is a Tramp" slays Ella’s. In my book, Dion and the Belmonts has the interpretable edge on "Where or When". Any fan of rock and roll will never be able to hear "Blue Moon" without referring to Elvis Presley’s astounding version for Sun Records, but that is not the point. You can search out these songs in an infinite number of places and find versions to suit your taste. What matters is that they are gathered here in one place, performed in a style that ranges from admirable to unbelievable. Admit it, the only thing holding you back from buying this is the price tag (usually hovering about $200, for a collection of 16 CD’s, not cheap by any means). But do you love good music? Why on earth would you even be reading this review otherwise? Do yourself (and the future of good taste) a favor; spend the money, and settle in for a lifetime of entertainment, education and enlightenment. It’ll be the bargain of a lifetime.
Grade: 
 
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