Every Ella Fitzgerald fan should own this CD. Her awesome talent is on display for all to hear. This lady not only set the standard, she is the standard! Enjoy!

A clear and crisp recording of a singer who has a remarkable voice. This is a classic and a favorite in my CD collection.

Ella is the gold standard for all female singers. She has the range of a classical singer, the soul of a blues singer, and the improvisational skills and phrasing of a jazz artist. If you want to begin a lifelong love affair with this great artist, this CD is the place to start.

For those getting into the magic of Lady Ella, this 18 song collection is certainly a solid appetizer. The songs capture the essence of Lady Ella: her fabulous singing, her one of a kind interpretive skills, her fabulous scatting and most of all, the passion she put into everything she sang.

"Pure Ella" containd dome of Ella's most endearing recordings, among them her classic "failed" attempt at "Mack The Knife," (she has a ball on this one), her gender flopped "The Boy From Ipanema," her moving version of "Over The Rainbow," her excellent collaborations with Louis Armstrong on "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Summertime" and the soaring "How High The Moon." All these track represent prime Ella, when her voice was at her most powerful and her singing was second to none.

The album's sound quality is excellent, and the packaging, which features an excellent essay by Will Freidwald. Definitely an essential purchase for those getting into Lady Ella.

Wow!

This as a wonderful CD. The 18 cuts here say all that needs to be said about the art of Ella Fitzgerald. She obviously has a stellar reputation in the musical world. And this work shows why.

Let's take a look at a sampling of the works here.

"Mack the Knife": Her version of this Brecht-Weill-Blitzstein piece is marvelous. It's a jazzy version with a lot of life in her singing. Her voice works well with this tune. The improvisational aspect of her singing makes this an enchanting version of this standard. She makes the song her own.

"They Can't Take That away from Me": There is a wonderful group with whom she sings (including Buddy Rich and Oscar Peterson). Her words are so clear and her technique so well rendered. This is a classic version. Made even more so by her duet with Louis Armstrong. The two voices can't be more different, but they end up working well together. The effect could not be more thrilling.

"Night and Day": This classic Cole Porter song is well sung. There is a nice backing group. This version is smoothly sung in Ella's inimitable style. She catches the spirit of Porter's work. Bravissima!

"Take the A Train": With Duke Ellington and his Orchestra (and Dizzy Gillespie). Another Wow! This is a classic collaboration of musical legends. The Orchestra provides compelling momentum to the song. Her scat singing plays well with the Orchestra. This scintillates; it is a Hall of Fame collaboration.

"Summertime": Another Armstrong-Fitzgerald collaboration. And a great Gershwin tune. Yet another Hall of Fame collaboration. Armstrong's trumpet fairly sings. His "used up" voice is an odd contrast to Fitzgerald's smooth instrument. But it works well.

So? This is a terrific album. It represents a brief and wonderful entrée to the work of Ella Fitzgerald.