Ella Fitzgerald - Mack the Knife: The Complete Ella In Berlin

MINE

I've spoken many times about my love for jazz divas.  And it all began here, really.  I mean, my father often told me it began with Edith Piaf, whose songs I apparently had memorised when I was three, but I don't think I really knew what it was all about until we had an album of Ella singing Gershwin tunes.

From then on, I've always had some Ella in my collection.  I can sing along with most of the songs - I prefer the fast numbers 'cause I love it when she's scat-singing - but I bought this particular album after much searching because it has a version of Lorelai on it.  It's a song about the legendary siren who tempted sailors to their deaths on a rock in the Rhine.  (I loved this song so much, I made my parents take a detour through Germany so I could see the rock the legend's based on.)  Anyway, it probably also sparked my love for clever lyrics -  She had a most immoral eye/ They called her Lorelai.

And for the record, it has nothing to do with my love for the Gilmore Girls.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

There's no doubting the voice, absolutely none.  Ella's seemingly effortless precision and wonderful tone have made her a household name.  I remember hearing her voice from a very young age as both my parents were fans.  Recorded live in Berlin, this album is one of the 'go-to' albums for Ella fans.

The problem for me is this is jazz, a style I've never really had much time for.  I've been made to feel like a bit of a heathen when I say this, particularly around a few discerning musicians I know.  But fuck it, I know what I like and this kind of sounds like the soundtrack to a bunch of slow 50s movies I saw bits and pieces of when I was a kid.

Having said this, her interpretations of Summertime, Mack The Knife and particularly How High The Moon, with her incredible scat, are absolute gold and worth the price of the whole album.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For further information go to: http://www.ellafitzgerald.com/

Verve Remixed Volumes One and Three

MINE

They're just so cool, you know?  The collection that translates into so many settings. Background for getting ready before a big night out.  An effortless listen after you've had a big night.  A party-opener that's not too raucous but still has a bit of pizazz.  And of course, ideal for gettin' busy.  You know what I mean.

Never a stretch for me, as I've grown up with most of these early jazz and blues songs, plus I love hearing them remixed by so many great DJs.  And the albums are full of my favourite singers - Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holliday, Nina Simone - beginning to see a pattern here?  Girl loves her jazz divas, no question.

While I've enjoyed having these in our collection, I'm a bit cheesed we don't have all the albums - so I'm voting we give these away and buy the deluxe set...  AND the Christmas CD which I had no idea existed before doing the back-story research for this review. (YourZ sez: okay, this is probably a Christmas CD I could listen to without wanting to pull my tongue out through my ears)

VERDICT: THROW THEM OUT (after we get the box set, of course)

YOURZ

Now this is jazz I can listen to without any problem.  Remixed by some of the best producers around, the addition, in a lot of cases, of cool, groove-laden beats has only improved the tracks.  I'm sure a lot of jazz purists would probably vomit on their grandmother before listening to any of these songs, but the reality is the Verve collection has updated a lot of standards and exposed them to a whole new audience and, in doing so, has guaranteed these awesome pieces of music will live well beyond the artists who originally performed them.  

Both these collections feature some great versions of songs you might already know but done with such refreshing twists, you may not initially recognise them.  Take Summertime, for instance, performed by Sarah Vaughan on Volume One.  It is remixed by United Future Organisation (UFO), who have taken the original to a new and very different place.  The original song, so often covered, is barely recognisable but for the vocals.  It is a superb update.

Another track by Sarah Vaughan is the classic Peter Gunn.  I always thought the track was an instrumental, so imagine my surprise hearing the vocals to this classic.  The remix, by Mick Sedgley, adds a big beat element to the original that suits it perfectly.  Nina Simone's version of Lilac Wine, another favourite, has been given a simple yet effective ambient retelling.  This is only a taste of the listening treats available on these two collections alone and, as Mine has suggested, the box set won't be too far away.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/ververemixed/music/