Ella Fitzgerald Twelve Nights In Hollywood CD

Personnel: Herb Ellis (guitar); Lou Levy (piano); Gus Johnson, Stan Levey (drums).
Audio Mixer: Val Valentin.
Liner Note Authors: Harry Weinger; Richard Seidel.
Photographer: Chuck Stewart.
Originally released on Verve Records in 1961, ELLA IN HOLLYWOOD is a straightforward collection of 12 familiar standards mostly given very simple, pop-oriented arrangements. Songs tend to run well under four minutes (a gently swinging "Just In Time" clocks in just under two), with only a minimum of room for Fitzgerald to break into her legendary scatting. The main exception is the centerpiece track, a nine-minute take on the Duke Ellington standard "Take the A Train," that gives Fitzgerald ample room to stretch out vocally. Although fans of her scat work might be somewhat disappointed by this mainstream set, ELLA IN HOLLYWOOD serves to remind just how gifted a stylist Fitzgerald was in the pop genre as well.
An appearance in Hollywood for a first-rate jazz vocalist was not necessarily an opportunity to broadcast the singer's visage and pander to everyone from Tacoma to Tallahassee. It could also include a date at the Crescendo. The Sunset Strip's best chance to find premier jazz, Gene Norman's nightclub hosted dozens of jazz legends (and a comic or two), and produced more than its share of excellent LPs recorded on location. Better even than Mel Tormé's 1954 classic, the Ella Fitzgerald LP that resulted from her May 1961 appearances generated one of the best (and certainly most underrated) live records in her discography. All of her hallmarks -- technical wizardry, breakneck scatting, irrepressible humor and warmth -- are on full display, with a small but expressive quartet backing her performance (including pianist Lou Levy, guitarist Herb Ellis, drummer Gus Johnson, and bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks). Although it's full of brilliance, the highlights are clear: a nine-minute scat masterpiece of "Take the 'A' Train," with chorus after chorus of variations, and the shorter but still excellent "Mr. Paganini." (The latter is one of the nods to her early career, along with a set-closing "Air Mail Special.") The balladry is masterful as well, with "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" and "Satin Doll" high on the list. Rarely given a spot on the best LPs of her career, Ella in Hollywood is nonetheless a classic glimpse of Ella at her on-stage best. ~ John Bush