Item Number: JL.JLP-9430S
Swing, Jazz.
This is one of a series of arrangements written by Nelson Riddle for Ella Fitzgerald focusing on the Gershwin songbook. These arrangements constitute some of the most famous settings of classic songs for one of the greatest vocalists in American music. 'Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook' was the high point in the series of songbook packages produced by Norman Granz for the Verve label. There had been four such projects beforehand: boxes of songs by Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington and Irving Berlin preceded it. Granz decided to make the Gershwin box the most ambitious of all of them; 5 LPs plus a 7" limited edition bonus disc that included Riddle arrangements of Gershwin instrumental compositions. This was the first songbook that was arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Granz had wanted Riddle for the first songbooks, but he was unavailable at the time. These arrangements have been requested for many years, and it is a thrill to present them, engraved and prepared from the original score. This is a straight big band arrangement (with optional xylophone), without strings. There are no saxophone doubles. The arrangement begins with a colla voce with guitar for the first half of the verse. The piano takes over for the guitar for the second half of the verse. At the conclusion of the verse the ensemble enters with a 4 bar introduction before the vocal comes in for the remainder of the arrangement. There are no solos. Ranges: Trumpet 1: C6; Trombone 1: C5.
