Album Artwork: ELLA LOVES COLE

 

Periodically, I will select an album cover from the playlist that resonates with me. This one was the first Ella Fitzgerald LP I ever purchased, not long after its release in 1972. Ella's manager, impresario Norman Granz, had wanted Nelson Riddle to arrange the star's first Porter song book album back in 1956. However, at the time, Riddle was working flat out for Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and many others in the Capitol Records stable and wasn't available. 

Ella Loves Cole brought Riddle's arranging skills to the follow-up project and the track included in this week's program is I Concentrate on You - one of the highlights from the album.

This was Ella Fitzgerald's only release on Atlantic Records before Granz, who had sold Verve Records a few years earlier, launched his new label, Pablo, where Ella remained until the end of her career. Indeed, in 1978, the 13 tracks on this album were augmented with two later recordings After You and Dream Dancing - the latter song become the title of the repackaged Pablo release.

Series 25, Prog 11

TENDERNESS

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

Try a Little Tenderness - Peggy Lee: Ultimate Peggy Lee (previously unreleased)

Tenderly - Johnny Hartman: All of Me/The Debonaire Mr Hartman

Tender as a Rose - Carol Stevens with Phil Moore’s Music: That Satin Doll

Begin the Beguine - Perry Como: Como Swings

Love Me Tender - Carmen McRae: Any Old Time

Moonlight Serenade - Tommy Leonetti: single

Tender Loving Care - Nancy Wilson: Tender Loving Care

(Love Is) The Tender Trap - Frank Sinatra & Count Basie: Sinatra-Basie

The Tender Touch - Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra Featuring Sande Ellis: The Tender Touch

There’s Love - Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E

I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You - Mavis Rivers: We Remember Mildred Bailey

Tender Is the Night - Billy Eckstine: Now Singing in 12 Great Movies

I Concentrate on You - Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Loves Cole

Yellow Days - Tony Bennett: Tony Bennett’s “Something”

Be Easy, Be Tender - Ann Richards: The Many Moods of Ann Richards

Try a Little Tenderness - The Commitments featuring Andrew Strong: The Commitments (Soundtrack)

Photo: Cottonbro Studio

Series 25, Prog 10

THE SAMMY FAIN SONG BOOK

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

I’m Late - Ann Richards: The Many Moods of Ann Richards

I Can Dream, Can’t I - Cleo Laine: All About Me!

Tender Is the Night - Steve Lawrence: Sings Of Love And Sad Young Men

Something I Dreamed Last Night - Carmen McRae: Book of Ballads

Love Is a Many Splendored Thing - Mark Murphy: Playing the Field

Here's To Your Illusions In Times Like These - Susannah McCorkle: Over the Rainbow/The Songs of E Y ‘Yip’ Harburg

A Very Precious Love - Dick Haymes: Look at Me Now! 

You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me - Trudy Richards: Crazy in Love!

Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella - Bing Crosby & Bob Scobey’s Frisco Jazz Band: Bing with a Beat

He’s Only Wonderful - Peggy Lee: The Singles Collection

It Looks Like Love - Dean Martin: Hollywood or Bust

Was That the Human Thing to Do - Nat King Cole: I Don’t Want to Be Hurt Anymore

I’ll Be Seeing You - Dinah Shore & André Previn: Dinah Sings, Previn Plays

The World Is Your Balloon - Pinky Winters & Zoot Sims: Pinky

Secret Love - Frankie Avalon: Swingin’ on a Rainbow

The Wildest Gal in Town - Anita O’Day: Anita O’Day at Mister Kelly’s

When I Take My Sugar to Tea - Frank Sinatra: Ring-a-Ding Ding!

That Old Feeling - Ernestine Anderson: Hot Cargo

Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Perry Como: Perry Como Swings

I Hear the Music Now - Chris Connor: Witchcraft

SAMMY FAIN 

June 17, 1902 - December 6, 1989

Series 25, Prog 9

THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

The Bad and the Beautiful - June Christy: Off Beat

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World - Vic Damone: The Lively Ones

A Bad Case of the Blues - Dinah Washington: Unforgettable

But Beautiful - Nat King Cole: The Very Thought of You

Got the Blues So Bad - Victoria Spivey: Songs We Taught Your Mother

It’s a Beautiful Evening - Buddy Greco: Big Band and Ballads

It’s Bad for Me - Benny Goodman Sextet & Rosemary Clooney: Date with a King

Bad News - Rosemary Clooney: Red Garters

My One Bad Habit - Dave Brubeck Quartet & Carmen McRae: The Real Ambassadors

I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good) - Nina Simone: Nina Simone Sings Duke Ellington

Beautiful Love - Anita O’Day: Anita

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Frank Sinatra: The Main Event

It Was So Beautiful (and You Were Mine) - Ethel Ennis: Have You Forgotten?

Big Band Bill (Is Sweet William Now) - Peggy Lee: Sugar & Spice

You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby - Lee Wiley: West of the Moon

Beautiful Child - Rufus Wainwright: Want One

(The End of) A Beautiful Friendship - Clairdee: Destination Moon

Let’s Make the Most of a Beautiful Thing - Nancy Wilson: Welcome to My Love

Series 25, Prog 8

IN PERFECT HARMONY: THE VOCAL GROUPS

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

I’ve Got a New Love Affair - The Skip Jacks: Sweet, Hot and Blue

You Do Something to Me - The Andrews Sisters: Fresh and Fancy Free

I Get Along Without You Very Well - The Four Freshmen: Four Freshmen and Five Saxes

Two for the Blues - Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: Sing a Song of Basie

There’s a Small Hotel - Claude Thornhill Orchestra & The Snowflakes

To Know You (Is to Love You) - Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters: Dreamer’s Holiday

A Cute Piece of Property - The Encores with Billy May & His Orchestra: single

It Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You - The Mills Brothers: Gems by The Mills Brothers

The Way You Look Tonight - The Dinning Sisters & Jack Fascinato & His Orchestra: Songs by The Dinning Sisters

A Bushel and a Peck - The McGuire Sisters: Guys and Dolls (Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre)

Blueberry Hill - Louis Armstrong & Gordon Jenkins’ Orchestra & Chorus: Satchmo in Style

Don’cha Go ‘Way Mad - Harry James & His Orchestra with The Skylarks: 78rpm single

Take the “A” Train - The Kings Sisters: Imagination

Desafinado - The Hi-Lo’s: The Hi-Lo’s Happen to Bossa Nova

Who (Stole My Heart Away) - The Pied Pipers: Jerome Kern’s Music

Who (Stole My Heart Away) - Pearl Bailey & The Charioteers: 78rpm single

Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall - Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots: 78rpm single

I Surrender, Dear - Count Basie & His Orchestra with the Alan Copeland Singers: Basie Swingin' - Voices Singin’

In the Mood - The Modernaires: Sing the Great Glenn Miller Instrumentals

Photo: The Four Freshmen

Series 25, Prog 7

THE VERNON DUKE SONG BOOK

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

Cabin in the Sky - Rosemary Clooney & Nelson Riddle: Rose Solves the Swingin’ Riddle

April in Paris - Kurt Elling: The Messenger

Honey in the Honeycomb - Barbara Lea: Barbara Lea with the Johnny Windhurst Quintets

Round About - Claire Martin, Scott Dunn & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: I Watch You Sleep

The Love I Long For - Vaughn Monroe: 78rpm single

I Am Only Human After All - Victor Arden-Phil Ohman & Their Orchestra Featruing Frank Luther: 78rpm single

What Is There to Say - Nat King Cole: After Midnight (The Complete Session)

Taking a Chance on Love - Anita O’Day: Anita Sings the Most

That Moment of Moments - Jackie Paris: Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin

I Can’t Get Started with You - Ella Fitzgerald & Nelson Riddle: Ella Swings Gently with Nelson

Love Me Tomorrow - Ronny Whyte: Shades of Whyte

I’m Gonna Ring That Bell Tonight - Doris Day: April in Paris (Soundtrack)

Autumn in New York - Todd Gordon & Carol Kidd with the RAF Squadronaires: Evergreen

I Like the Likes of You - Jeri Southern: Southern Breeze

Ages Ago - Tony Travis (with Pete Relugo & Vernon Duke): Time Remembered

Not a Care in the World - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra featuring Peggy Lee: Peggy Lee Sings with Benny Goodman

VERNON DUKE 

Oct 10, 1903 - Jan 16, 1969