Ella Fitzgerald: The Rodgers and Hart Songbook, Vol.2

Album Review

This second and final volume of Ella Fitzgerald's superb Rodgers & Hart songbook matches the high standard of the first, thanks to another beguiling mix of ballads and swingers. Once again, arranger Buddy Bregman deftly shifts between brassy brightness and after-hours opulence, allowing Fitzgerald's supple voice to shine through. With more of an emphasis on ballads this time out, Fitzgerald especially puts her stamp on slow burners like "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "My Heart Stood Still," and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was." She also revels in the many nuances adorning those famous Rodgers & Hart song preludes. While this collection is often overlooked in favor of the singer's more popular Porter and Gershwin songbooks, listeners will eventually want to check these gems out. Also available as part of a complete two-disc set.