ELLA FITZGERALD "CLAP HANDS, HERE COMES CHARLIE"
2012 ANALOGUE PRODUCTIONS "VERVE REISSUES", 2LP, 45RPM, 200G VIRGIN VINYL, LIMITED EDITION OF 1,000 NUMBERED COPIES, THIS IS #98, SOLD-OUT EDITION, MASTERED BY GEORGE MARINO AT STERLING SOUND FROM THE ORIGINAL ANALOG MASTER TAPES AND PRESSED AT QRP, SALINA, KS, CATALOG NUMBER AP-4053.
"DUBBED "THE FIRST LADY OF SONG", ELLA FITZGERALD WAS THE MOST POPULAR FEMALE SINGER IN THE UNITED STATES FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY. IN HER LIFETIME, SHE WON 13 GRAMMY AWARDS AND SOLD OVER 40 MILLION ALBUMS. HER VOICE WAS FLEXIBLE, WIDE-RANGING, ACCURATE AND AGELESS. WITH A VOCAL RANGE SPANNING THREE OCTAVES, SHE WAS NOTED FOR HER PURITY OF TONE, IMPECCABLE DICTION, PHRASING AND INTONATION, AND A "HOM-LIKE" IMPROVISATIONAL ABILITY, PARTICULARLY IN HER SCAT SINGING. FITZGERALD WAS A NOTABLE INTERPRETER OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK. SHE COULD SING SULTRY BALLADS, SWEET JAZZ AND IMITATE EVERY INSTRUMENT IN AN ORCHESTRA. SHE WORKED WITH ALL THE JAZZ GREATS, FROM DUKE ELLINGTON, COUNT BASIE AND NAT KING COLE, TO FRANK SINATRA, DIZZY GILLESPIE AND BENNY GOODMAN. (OR RATHER, SOME MIGHT SAY ALL THE JAZZ GREATS HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH ELLA.) SHE PERFORMED AT TOP VENUES ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND PACKED THEM TO THE HILT. HER AUDIENCES WERE AS DIVERSE AS HER RANGE. THEY WERE RICH AND POOR, MADE UP OF ALL RACES, ALL RELIGIONS AND ALL NATIONALITIES. IN FACT, MANY OF THEM HAD JUST ONE BINDING FACTOR IN COMMON--THEY ALL LOVED HER."
"THE FIRST LADY OF SONG IS AT HER MOST INTENSELY SWINGING AND GRACEFUL LEVEL FOR THIS SESSION OF 14 SONGS INCLUDING "CRY ME A RIVER" AND 'ROUND MIDNITE"... A SUPERIOR REPRESENTATION OF THE SINGER AS A JAZZ INTERPRETER. THIS SET IS ONE OF HER BEST".--JOHN TYNAN, DOWN BEAT, 1962."
"BACK IN THE 1990'S ORIGINAL VERVE PRESSINGS OF THIS RECORD WERE HOT ITEMS PUSHED INTO PROMINENCE IN GREAT PART BY WRITE-UPS IN THE ABSOLUTE SOUND, PARTICULARLY BY MY FRIEND FRANK DORIS. I FOUND A FEW, AND EVEN A FEW IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION, BUT NONE OF THEM BEGIN TO COMPARE TO THIS DOUBLE 45 RPM SET THAT OFFERS MORE OF EVERYTHING, PARTICULARLY TRANSPARENCY AND INSTRUMENTAL SEPARATION. ...ELLA'S ON A MICROPHONE WITH A SLIGHTLY RISING HIGH END BUT IF IT SOUNDS ICY, DON'T BLAME THE RECORDING OR THE MASTERING. IT'S YOUR SYSTEM. IF IT'S WELL-BALANCED AND YOUR CARTRIDGE IS A GOOD TRACKER, THE VOCAL TRANSPARENCY AND CLARITY ARE SPOOKY AND THE SIBILANT ARTICULATION IS PRECISE. THESE DOUBLE 45s CUT AT STERLING SOUND USE THE ORIGINAL TAPES, NOT COPIES OF THE ORIGINAL TAPES AND THE CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY COUPLED WITH QRP'S DROP DEAD SILENT PRESSINGS ARE REMARKABLE. THE ORIGINAL PRE-MGM BUYOUT LP HAS A PLEASINGLY NOSTALGIC QUALITY AND THE ADDED WARMTH PRODUCES A BIT MORE ROOM SOUND, BUT IN MY OPINION IT CAN'T COMPARE TO THIS REISSUE UNLESS YOU LIKE HEARING THINGS THROUGH ROSE-TINTED LOUDSPEAKERS. ELEGANTLY PRODUCED, ARRANGED AND RECORDED AND EASY TO RECOMMEND..."-MICHAEL FREMER, ANALOG PLANET
"FOURTEEN NUMBERS FROM THE HEYDAY OF SWING, COMPOSED SOMETIME BETWEEN 1930 AND 1945-PLAYED AND SUNG TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN BALLROOMS, OR ON THE RADIO TO ADVERTISE BISCUITS OR WAR BONDS, WERE RECORDED BY ELLA IN COMPLETELY NEW AND PERSONAL INTERPRETATIONS IN 1961. NO ONE SHOULD BE PUT OFF BY THE RATHER UNFORTUNATE COVER. CLAP HANDS...IS ABSOLUTELY TOP NOTCH AS REGARDS MUSICALITY, PERFECT RECORDING QUALITY, SUPERB ACCOMPANIMENT BY A SMALL ENSEMBLE, WITH ROOM FOR IMPROVISATIONS; IT OFFERS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW IN THESE EVERGREENS, DESPITE THE OCCASIONLLY BANAL LYRICES. THE SONGS ON THIS RECORDING CONJURE UP BYGONE DAYS, WITH LISTENERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY BEING OFFERED A HIGHLY PERSONAL HOMAGE TO ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PERIODS IN THE 100-YEAR HISTORY OF JAZZ."