The Intimate Ella

This is a most unusual Ella Fitzgerald recording. Recorded around the time when she performed some of these songs for the film Let No Man Write My Epitaph, the masterful singer is heard in duets with pianist Paul Smith interpreting 13 songs (even "I Cried for You," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and "Who's Sorry Now?") at slow expressive tempos. Listeners who feel that Ella Fitzgerald was mostly a scat singer who had trouble giving the proper emotional intensity to lyrics will be surprised by this sensitive and often-haunting set. ~ Scott Yanow

This album is a rare gem, a 1960 duo session featuring Ella Fitzgerald singing classic ballads, which she performed in the film Let No Man Write My Epitaph, with pianist Paul Smith as her sole accompanist. Unfortunately, this audiophile LP reissue by Classic omits seven of the 13 selections heard on the original record in order to release it as a pair of one-sided 12 45-rpm discs. While the fidelity is superb, it seems like it would have been more intelligent to utilize both sides of each disc or the regular 33-rpm speed in order to include all of this valuable music. In any case, Ellas gift for capturing the essence of each melody is matched by Smiths flawless backing for her, especially in her powerful interpretation of Angel Eyes and the loping One for My Baby (And One for the Road). Theres no doubt that the missing songs, which include I Hadnt Anyone Till You, Whos Sorry Now, and Im Getting Sentimental Over You, are every bit as good as the tracks on this abbreviated reissue. ~ Ken Dryden