As promised, this month I present an album which I think you will enjoy when you get home after having closed up the establishment. Let's face it, in the Restaurant, catering and entertainment industries, nobody goes straight to bed when they get home. You have to unwind.
There are two ladies whom might be described as the two greatest singers of the 20th Century (excluding opera). Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. You can't separate them. They are equals. I don't think there is anyone who can touch them, past or present.
The Intimate Ella is a collection of great ballads sung by Ella Fitzgerald with piano accompaniments by Paul Smith, who is one of the supreme accompanists for this kind of music. He creates a glorious cushion of sound over which floats Miss Fitzgerald's incredible, seamless, silken voice.
Ella's interpretations are timeless. She brings to each number the ultimate rendering and treatment. Lyrics suddenly mean a whole lot more. Each word is crystal clear. Each note a triumph of pitch, feeling, warmth and style.
The tracks are: Black Coffee, Angel Eyes, I Cried for You, I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Then You've Never Been Blue, I Hadn't Anyone Till You, Misty, My Melancholy Baby, September Song, One for My Baby, Who's Sorry Now, I'm Getting Sentimental Over You, Reach for Tomorrow.
Recording quality is excellent. The album is in stereo. It was recorded in 1960. Buy it.
First published in Restaurant and Catering Magazine, Nov 2003
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