Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald was one of America’s greatest jazz singers. This volume is as complete a discography of her recorded songs as currently seems possible to compile.
This volume also contains a complete discography (1927–1939) for drummer and bandleader Chick Webb, with whom Ella began her recording career in 1935.
Part One includes a chronological listing of all known recorded performances of both Chick Webb and Ella. Part Two gives the complete contents of Ella’s LPs and CDs, including track listings, titles (with lyricists and composers) and timings. Part Three is an annotated alphabetical listing of all songs contained on all of Fitzgerald’s records, with detailed information on each song’s composer, lyricist, and history.
Reviews of the movies in which Ella appeared and surveys of her career with the Decca, Verve and Pablo music companies are included. The book also has an index of album and CD recordings, and composers, lyricists and musicians.

Retired business administrator J. Wilfred Johnson lives in Portland, Oregon.

J. Wilfred Johnson
Format: softcover (8.5 x 11)
Pages: 368
Bibliographic Info: appendices, index
Copyright Date: 2010 [2001]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4690-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8511-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Preface      1

How to Use This Book      3

Introduction      7

Part One: The Recording Sessions—A Discography

The Chick Webb Recording Sessions, 1927–1934      21

A Survey of Chick Webb Long-Play and Compact Discs      23

The Ella Fitzgerald Recording Sessions (Including the Chick Webb Recording Sessions, 1935–1939)      27

THE DECCA YEARS (1935–1955)      27

An Alphabetical Listing of Chick Webb Records Without Ella Fitzgerald Vocals      36

The Decca Years: A Survey      59

THE VERVE YEARS (1956–1966)      60

The Verve Years: A Survey      93

THE CONCERT YEARS (1966–1971)      94

The Concert Years: A Survey      100

THE PABLO YEARS (1972–1992)      101

The Pablo Years: A Survey      107

Ella’s Complete Discography: A Survey      107

Part Two: Ella’s Records

The Long-Play Albums and Compact Discs: A Collector’s Checklist      111

I. The “A” Collection: Titles      111

II. The “B” Collection: Titles      114

III. The “Radio and Television” Collection: Titles      115

IV. The Ella Collections: Titles      115

V. Chick Webb Albums, 1929–1936: Titles      116

VI. The “A” Collection: Contents      116

VII. The “B” Collection: Contents      179

VIII. The “Radio and Television” Collection: Contents      185

IX. The Ella Collections: Contents      193

X. Ella’s Records: An Alphabetical Listing      197

Part Three: The Songs Ella Sings

Annotated Song Index      205

An “Album” of Songs Ella Recorded That You’ve Never Heard Her Sing      288

Appendix A. They Wrote the Songs Ella Sings: The Lyricists and Composers      291

Appendix B. They Play While Ella Sings: Ella’s Musicians      319

…And They Sang with Ella      336

Appendix C. Ella’s Movies      337

Appendix D. Do-It-Yourself Ella Fitzgerald Song Books      341

Appendix E. Some Recommended Reading      351

General Index      357

Finalist, ARSC Award for Excellence
“a mighty achievement…exhaustive…a monumental work”—Film Review; “comprehensive”—Booklist; “valuable”—Choice; “comprehensive and thoroughly researched”—ARBA; “no stone unturned…definitive”—Stateside; “well conceived and extremely well executed…does a great deal more than merely list the singer’s recordings…welcome and useful…invaluable…recommended”—Jazz Journal; “easy to read…tons of information…complete…terrific”—IAJRC Journal.