Jazz
All tracks recorded in New York City between 1939 and 1941
Ella Fitzgerald Vocal
Chick Webb Drums, Orchestra
THE EARLY YEARS PART II finds not only Ella Fitzgerald but jazz itself in a time of transition. The swing era was slowly giving way to the birth of bop, with its emphasis on smaller combos and trickier charts. This change is expressed herein the differences between disc one, largely recorded with Chick Webb's good-timey swing band, and disc two, which features the debut of Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra. Though it was somewhat unusual for a singer to front her ownband, it's obvious why Fitzgerald made the change.
The Webb material is terrific, though somewhat lightweight. With a breathy, girlish voice that she never used later in her career, Fitzgerald sings novelty tunes like "Chew-Chew-Chew (Chew Your Bubble Gum)" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" with charm and wit. But on her work as a leader, including a sultry take on "My Man", Ella sounds more like the refined songstress that fans know and love.
This is the second reissue devoted to the earliest Decca recordings of Ella Fitzgerald. While Part One dealt with her initial emergence as a recording artist, this collection is more concerned with the development of a mature interpreter of the popular song.
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