Ella Fitzgerald - The Concert Years [1994] (4 x CDs)

SUNDAY JAZZ

ELLA FITZGERALD

Ella Fitzgerald - The Concert Years [1994] (4 x CDs)

Ella Fitzgerald’s The Concert Years is more than a box set is a living archive of jazz performance across four decades. Released in 1994 by Pablo Records, this 4-CD collection captures the spontaneity, wit, and vocal brilliance that defined Ella’s live presence from 1953 to 1983.

Unlike studio recordings, these performances reveal Ella’s improvisational genius. Her scatting is playful and daring, her phrasing elastic, and her rapport with audience's electric. From intimate club dates to grand festival stages, Ella’s voice remains a beacon of clarity and emotional depth.

The early tracks showcase her swing-era roots, with songs like “On the Sunny Side of the Street” and “Body and Soul” delivered with youthful exuberance. As the set progresses, she engages the Great American Songbook, Gershwin, Porter, Ellington, with reverence and reinvention. Her interpretations are never static; they evolve with the moment, shaped by crowd energy and band chemistry.

Collaborations with jazz legends, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and the Funky Trio, add richness to the set. Tracks like “Duke’s Place” and “Perdido” pulse with shared history and mutual respect.

By the 1970s and ’80s, Ella’s voice deepens, gaining introspective warmth. Songs like “You’ve Changed” and “Imagine My Frustration” reveal a mature artist capable of heartbreak and swing in equal measure.

The Concert Years is a masterclass in live jazz, a testament to Ella’s enduring artistry, and a celebration of connection through music. It teaches us that performance is not just about precision, it’s about presence, risk, and joy. Ella never just sang, she conversed, she soared, and she made every stage feel like home. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Ella Fitzgerald - On The Sunny Side of The Street 2:20

02 Ella Fitzgerald - Body and Soul 4:15

03 Ella Fitzgerald - Why Don't You Do Right 3:24

04 Ella Fitzgerald - Oh, Lady Be Good 3:12

05 Ella Fitzgerald - I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good 3:42

06 Ella Fitzgerald - How High The Moon 3:15

07 Ella Fitzgerald - My Funny Valentine 2:56

08 Ella Fitzgerald - Smooth Sailing 2:54

09 Ella Fitzgerald - Frim Fram Sauce 3:45

10 Ella Fitzgerald - Perdido 6:27

11 Ella Fitzgerald - Imagine My Frustration 5:02

12 Ella Fitzgerald - Duke's Place 4:43

13 Ella Fitzgerald - Satin Doll 2:47

14 Ella Fitzgerald - Something to Live For 4:24

15 Ella Fitzgerald - So Danco Samba 3:43

16 Ella Fitzgerald - Don't Be That Way 4:09

17 Ella Fitzgerald - You've Changed 4:12

18 Ella Fitzgerald - Let's Do It 4:38

19 Ella Fitzgerald - On The Sunny Side of The Street 2:14

20 Ella Fitzgerald - Cotton Tail 5:29

CD2

01 Ella Fitzgerald - Night and Day 6:58

02 Ella Fitzgerald - The Many Faces of Cole Porter 5:32

03 Ella Fitzgerald - The Ballad Medley 4:50

04 Ella Fitzgerald - The Bossa Scene 5:51

05 Ella Fitzgerald - They Can't Take That Away From Me 4:19

06 Ella Fitzgerald - St. Louis Blues 3:11

07 Ella Fitzgerald - Love 3:15

08 Ella Fitzgerald - Begin The Beguine 4:27

09 Ella Fitzgerald - Indian Summer 4:34

10 Ella Fitzgerald - You've Got A Friend 5:14

11 Ella Fitzgerald - Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most 4:02

12 Ella Fitzgerald - Madalena 3:37

13 Ella Fitzgerald - Shiny Stockings 3:56

14 Ella Fitzgerald - I Can't Stop Loving You 6:12

15 Ella Fitzgerald - C Jam Blues 11:04

CD3

01 Ella Fitzgerald - Sweet Georgia Brown 3:45

02 Ella Fitzgerald - They Can't Take That Away From Me 4:47

03 Ella Fitzgerald - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye 2:58

04 Ella Fitzgerald - The Man I Love 8:39

05 Ella Fitzgerald - It Don't Mean A Thing 7:30

06 Ella Fitzgerald - Lemon Drop 3:50

07 Ella Fitzgerald - The Very Thought of You 4:37

08 Ella Fitzgerald - Happy Blues 6:16

09 Ella Fitzgerald - Caravan 3:33

10 Ella Fitzgerald - Satin Doll 2:53

11 Ella Fitzgerald - Teach Me Tonight 4:41

12 Ella Fitzgerald - Wave 5:16

13 Ella Fitzgerald - It's Alright With Me 3:06

14 Ella Fitzgerald - How High The Moon 7:24

15 Ella Fitzgerald - T' Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do 6:01

CD4

01 Ella Fitzgerald - Too Close for Comfort 3:50

02 Ella Fitzgerald - I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues 4:40

03 Ella Fitzgerald - Day By Day 2:07

04 Ella Fitzgerald - Ordinary Fool 3:58

05 Ella Fitzgerald - Billie's Bounce 5:01

06 Ella Fitzgerald - Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 2:00

07 Ella Fitzgerald - Make Me Rainbows 3:24

08 Ella Fitzgerald - After You've Gone 3:47

09 Ella Fitzgerald - 'Round Midnight 4:41

10 Ella Fitzgerald - You've Changed 3:23

11 Ella Fitzgerald - Basella 10:31

12 Ella Fitzgerald - Manteca 2:40

13 Ella Fitzgerald - Willow Weep for Me 5:28

14 Ella Fitzgerald - All of Me 3:50

15 Ella Fitzgerald - Blue Moon 4:07

16 Ella Fitzgerald - Night and Day 4:02

17 Ella Fitzgerald - Flying Home 9:49

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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