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Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.

After a tumultuous adolescence, Fitzgerald found stability in musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, performing across the country but most often associated with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Her rendition of the nursery rhyme "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" helped boost both her and Webb to national fame. After taking over the band when Webb died, Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career. Her manager was Moe Gale, co-founder of the Savoy, until she turned the rest of her career over to Norman Granz, who founded Verve Records to produce new records by Fitzgerald. With Verve she recorded some of her more widely noted works, particularly her interpretations of the Great American Songbook.

While Fitzgerald appeared in films and as a guest on popular television shows in the second half of the twentieth century, her musical collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and The Ink Spots were some of her most notable acts outside her solo career. These partnerships produced some of her best-known songs such as "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "Cheek to Cheek", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)". In 1993, after a career of nearly sixty years, she gave her last public performance. Three years later, she died at age 79 after years of declining health. Her accolades included 14 Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, the NAACP's inaugural President's Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 25, 1917 (Newport News), Died June 15, 1996 (Beverly Hills)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1957

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, songwriter, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 349 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-02463 10-in. 11/5/1936 Goodnight my love Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Ella Fitzgerald Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BS-02464 10-in. 11/5/1936 Take another guess Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Ella Fitzgerald Jazz/dance band, with vocal vocalist  
Victor BS-02465 10-in. 11/5/1936 Did you mean it? Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Ella Fitzgerald Jazz/dance band, with vocal vocalist  
Victor BS-04568 10-in. 2/4/1937 You showed me the way Wingy Manone Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-07745 10-in. 4/9/1937 You showed me the way Fats Waller and his Rhythm Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-07746 10-in. 4/9/1937 You showed me the way Fats Waller and his Rhythm Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor PBS-019420 10-in. 7/9/1938 A-tisket, a-tasket Clambake Seven ; Tommy Dorsey ; Edythe Wright Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-023768 10-in. 7/1/1938 A-tisket a-tasket Scat Powell ; Willie Farmer Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-028195 10-in. 11/3/1938 I found my yellow basket Shirley Brown ; Van Alexander Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-036925 10-in. 5/9/1939 Chew-chew-chew Jeanne D'Arcy ; Johnny Messner ; Music Box Band Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble lyricist  
Victor BS-036962 10-in. 5/18/1939 Chew-chew-chew (Chew your bubble gum) Don Redman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and vocal chorus lyricist  
Victor BS-037124 10-in. 5/17/1939 Chew-chew-chew (Chew your bubble gum) Smoothies Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Brunswick B20699 10-in. 2/18/1937 You showed me the way Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Decca 39614 10-in. 6/12/1935 I'll chase the blues away Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 39617 10-in. 6/12/1935 Love and kisses Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 60054 10-in. 10/12/1935 Rhythm and romance Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 60056 10-in. 10/12/1935 I'll chase the blues away Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 60058 10-in. 10/12/1935 Facts and figures Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 60999 10-in. 4/7/1936 Love, you're just a laugh Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 61000 10-in. 4/7/1936 Cryin' my heart out for you Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 61001 10-in. 4/7/1936 under the spell of the blues Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 61002 10-in. 4/7/1936 When I get low I get high Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 61124 10-in. 6/2/1936 Sing me a swing song (and let me dance) Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 61125 10-in. 6/2/1936 A little bit later on Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 61126 10-in. 6/2/1936 Love, you're just a laugh Chick Webb Orchestra vocalist  
(Results 1-25 of 349 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Fitzgerald, Ella," accessed March 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104118.

Fitzgerald, Ella. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104118.

"Fitzgerald, Ella." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104118

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