Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife: Ella In Berlin (1973 Japanese Verve LP)

Vinyl: EX
Sleeve: EX
Obi: None

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Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife: Ella In Berlin Vinyl LP - 1973 Japanese Verve Modern Jazz Verve Best Series with Obi

One of the greatest live vocal jazz recordings ever made, Ella In Berlin captures Fitzgerald at peak form during her legendary 1960 performance at West Berlin's Deutschlandhalle. The album is best known for her improvised version of "Mack The Knife" where, forgetting the lyrics, she transforms the mishap into a triumph of spontaneous creativity, scatting and making up humorous new lyrics that earned her two Grammy Awards. Backed by a sympathetic quartet featuring guitarist Jim Hall, pianist Paul Smith, bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks, and drummer Gus Johnson, Fitzgerald navigates nine standards with technical perfection, emotional depth, and spontaneous joy. This 1973 Japanese reissue, part of Verve's Modern Jazz Verve Best series was manufactured by Polydor K.K.

Beyond the famous "Mack The Knife", the album showcases Fitzgerald's complete artistry across diverse material. Her reading of "Summertime" demonstrates how she could transform a familiar song through subtle phrasing and tonal colour, while "How High The Moon" features extended scat singing that displays her technical command and harmonic sophistication. Jim Hall's guitar work provides elegant accompaniment and brief solos that complement rather than compete with Fitzgerald's vocals, while the rhythm section swings with precision and taste throughout.

The live setting captures Fitzgerald's rapport with the Berlin audience, her warmth and humour audible between songs and during the famous "Mack The Knife" improvisation.