Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Rodgers And Hart Song Book (2xLP, 180g, Acoustic Sounds Series, Verve)

Ella Fitzgerald's Sings The Rodgers and Hart Song Book was first released in 1957 as the second entry in her celebrated Songbook series, turning 34 songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart into a sweeping portrait of the Great American Songbook. Recorded in 1956 with arrangements and conducting by Buddy Bregman, it pairs Fitzgerald with a studio orchestra and a roster of top West Coast session players, including Barney Kessel, Bud Shank and Maynard Ferguson.

What makes this set endure is the balance between scale and ease. Across standards such as “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “Where or When” and “My Funny Valentine,” Fitzgerald brings clarity, swing and real warmth, while Bregman’s string and big-band settings keep the music elegant without weighing it down. It is a large album, originally issued as a two-LP set, but it never feels academic; these performances helped show how completely Ella could inhabit popular song while still sounding conversational and alive.

This Verve Acoustic Sounds edition also explains why the album remains such a rewarding vinyl listen. It is mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original analog master tape, pressed on 180g vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in Stoughton tip-on gatefold packaging as part of the specialist Verve Acoustic Sounds Series.

Features

• 2xLP, 180g, Stereo, Verve Acoustic Sounds Series
• Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original analog master tape
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings
• Stoughton old-style tip-on gatefold jacket