Seven for Saturday - 7 Ella Fitzgerald Videos
August 14, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Donna M in A-Tisket A-Tasket, Artists, Ella Fitzgerald, History, Joe Pass, Seven for Saturday

"Seven for Saturday" is a great way to see some of the legendary men and women of jazz in action.

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 — June 15, 1996) also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist. With a vocal range spanning three octaves (Db3 to Db6), she was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.

She is considered to be a notable interpreter of the Great American Songbook. Over a recording career that lasted 59 years, she was the winner of 14 Grammy Awards and was awarded the National Medal of Art by Ronald Reagan and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush. [wikipedia.org]

 

The first video is a clip from the 1942 Abbott and Costello movie "Ride 'Em Cowboy." Here she sings "A-Tisket A-Tasket" which was a hit for her and the Chick Webb Orchestra in 1938:

 

 

The next 5 videos are from two concerts that Ms. Fitzgerald performed in Berlin in 1968. There is over 40+ minutes of music to enjoy!:

 

The last video is from 1975. She performs "Cry Me A River" with Joe Pass accompanying her on guitar: 

 

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Article originally appeared on Exploring Jazz Music One Musician at a Time (https://www.elementsofjazz.com/).
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