CD Review: The Essential Ella (Verve)

This was my very first Ella album. It's a great introduction to her wonderful style, consisting mainly of standards. They have been picked by the good people at Verve from Ella's "Great American Songbook" albums, and were originally produced by the legendary Norman Granz.

I can't pick a favourite song - they're all so good - but highlights are probably "With a Song in my Heart", "I Got Rhythm" and "Misty". The album includes the song that brought Ella into the limelight ("A-Tisket, A-Tasket") and the time she forgot the words to "Mack the Knife". There are songs to suit just about every mood. We even chose to do our wedding dance to "From This Moment On".

I can't recommend this album enough for someone who is wanting to get a good sampling of Ella Fitzgerald.