Edition: Jazz Studio Orchestra Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Swing - Medium Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

In 1959, arranger Nelson Riddle was at the top of the arranging world, internationally famous, having worked with Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Judy Garland, and others, and was best-known for arranging some of the all-time greatest works of Frank Sinatra, including Songs for Swingin’ Lovers and A Swingin’ Affair. Riddle and Fitzgerald had never worked together, and their musical marriage was a seemingly obvious one, especially for a canon such as that of the Gershwins. Recorded in several sessions during the first seven months of 1959, the project became the largest of Fitzgerald’s career, and was further enhanced by the support of Ira Gershwin, who apparently contributed lyrics to some songs which had previously lacked them in finished form. As with other entries in the series, both well-known classics and rarities were recorded, resulting in a wonderfully thorough presentation. The completed project received universal acclaim, and But Not For Me received the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In perhaps the greatest testament to the brilliance of Ella Fitzgerald and the interpretations of the Gershwin Songbook created by she and Nelson Riddle, Ira Gershwin has been famously quoted as saying, “I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them.”

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook was the high point in the series of songbook packages produced by Norman Granz for the Verve label. There had been four such projects beforehand: boxes of songs by Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington, and Irving Berlin. Granz decided to make the Gershwin box the most ambitious of all of them: 5 LPs plus a 7” limited edition bonus disc that included Riddle arrangements of Gershwin instrumental compositions. This project had the enthusiastic cooperation and participation of lyricist Ira Gershwin who attended the recording sessions and re-wrote lyrics for the occasion. This was the first songbook session that Nelson Riddle participated in. Granz had wanted Riddle to arrange music for the previous songbooks, but he was unavailable at the time.

This publication has been prepared from Riddle's pencil score and the set of parts that were used during the recording session - this is not a transcription.

 

Full Score
Vocal
3 Flutes
Bass Clarinet/Tenor Saxophone
2 Horns in F
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
3 Violins
Viola
Cello
Guitar
Piano
Acoustic Bass
Percussion: Vibraphone
Drum Set

Vocal Key: Db