Ella Fitzgerald - best songs and hits

"First lady of jazz," "first lady of song."She was a three-octave voice, a master of scat and vocal improvisation, and one of the most legendary jazz icons, who only in her lifetime sold the over 40 million of his recordings all over the world! All this, of course, about the charming Ella Fitzgerald…

Ella Fitzgerald Born on 25 April 1917, she lived a long, full and colourful life, passing away in 1996 at the age of 79. Her career began with performances in the theatre. She won the sympathy of guests before she met the orchestra director Chick Webb. He liked Ella's voice and manner, but initially didn't want to do business with her because he didn't like the way the singer looked. But Webb fortunately decided to give her an opportunity by letting her sing in his band. As a result, Fitzgerald impressed everyone from the audience to the musicians!

Ella has recorded and performed a huge number of songs throughout her career, including great hits and amazing duets! She has collaborated with some of the leading icons of her time, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, The Ink Spots. and others. Fitzgerald has left us, but her music lives on to this day. Her compositions, as well as her image itself, have become classics. She was a popular jazz singer who worked with many artists throughout her career. The list of her creative honours infinitebut today we've decided to focus on some of her best songs ...

"Summertime."

The composition "Summertime" was written by the maestro of music George Gershwin in words Dubose Haywardwho wrote the book Porgy. The song was intended for the opera Porgy and Bess.

It's a solo moment of truth, but there's also a version where the incomparable Fitzgerald joins in with the brilliant musician to Louis Armstrong!

Ella's clear, crystalline sound contrasts perfectly with Louis' husky voice. Critically acclaimed, "Summertime." is considered a jazz standard, and musical genius Stephen Sondheim has stated that the lyrics of this song are "the best in the history of musical theatre".

"Cry Me A River"

One of the most beautiful songs in Fitzgerald's repertoire - and also the most popular. The composition is endowed not only with an excellent melody and performance, but also with a lyrical content that gets to the heart of…

"Well here you are saying you're lonely,
You cried all night long.
Now you're shedding tears,
Cry for me--
As I poured them over you.
Now you're saying you're sorry,
For being unfaithful to me.
Now you're shedding tears for me,
Cry for me--
As I poured them over you..."

"The Lady Is A Tramp" (ft. Frank Sinatra)

The Magnificent. duo! Definitely: Ella and Frank's voices are a perfect match....

One of the best collaborations of Fitzgerald's career, which, by the way, is still popular among fans to this day: millions of views on YouTube. These two really made magic on the same stage.....

"A-Tisket, A-Tasket."

The song she recorded with the Chick Webb Orchestra.

It's an energetic composition based on a children's song. In fact, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" is a unique classic. Not many compositions are based on nursery rhymes or games, and Ella made the right decision to record this song, because it has sold a lot of copies....

"Misty."

Personal song about a woman who can't get a man out of her head. She wants to forget him, but she can't because she still loves him. A very heartfelt composition about love and regret. Who hasn't been in a situation where they wanted to get someone out of their head after a relationship ended? We're sure the lyric close to many…

Fitzgerald's version has a tempo recognisable from the get-go, and jazz mixed with a country sound. Musical design out of this world!

"Mack the Knife"

It's not every day you hear a song about a serial offenderespecially when performed by a diva like Ella Fitzgerald. And yet! Despite the fact that this is a rather unusual, complicated and atypical narrative for her, Ella coped with it well. Yes, she made this legendary song his!

The melody with a bouncy jazz rhythm is quite cheerful, which energises such a harsh lyric with a special atmosphere. There's also orchestral burstsbut Ella's vocals are strong enough to keep up with the changes in rhythm. She shows absolute professionalism here, especially when she continues her confident performance, forgetting the words of the song....

Finally, here are some more delightful compositions performed by the unrivalled Fitzgerald... By the way: don't forget to share your preferences in the comments. This diva has so many gorgeous numbers that we're more than sure: it's impossible to collect them within one selection.

"One Note Samba."

"Lullaby of Birdland"

"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" (ft. Duke Ellington)