For Ella
| For Ella | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 21, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | June 19-28, 2001 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 46:07 | |||
| Label | Playboy Jazz/Concord | |||
| Producer |
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| Patti Austin chronology | ||||
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For Ella is a studio album by Patti Austin, released in 2002 on Playboy Jazz/Concord Records.[1] The album peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard Traditional Jazz Albums chart and No. 18 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.[2]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Miami Herald | [4] |
| USA Today | [5] |
| Atlanta Journal Constitution | (A-)[6] |
Steve Jones of USA Today hailed the album saying, "Austin dares and succeeds on this loving tribute...Record(ed) in Koln, Germany, under the baton of Grammy-winning arranger Patrick Williams, Austin revels in the material, showing off a talent for jazz only hinted at in her more popular work. Ella is in great hands here."[5] William Ruhlmann of AllMusic, in a 4/5 star review, declared, "Patti Austin is well qualified to record an album in the style of Ella Fitzgerald, having spent her career shadowing the paths taken by Fitzgerald and her contemporaries...Austin does not, for the most part, attempt to sing in Fitzgerald's style, giving listeners her own interpretations that, in Williams' neo-swing arrangements, nevertheless hark back to the 1950s...Austin is better off putting her own stamp on the songs; that she does very well."[3]
Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald in a 3/5 star review claimed, "Austin goes so far as to painstakingly recreate Fitzgerald's exact vocal patterns on You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini) and How High the Moon. It's a daring move that would hang lesser singers but it's one also fraught with danger for comparisons to Ella will always favor the legend...Certainly not a substitution for Ella but it's worth having as an addition to your jazz library."[4] Mario Tarradell of the Dallas Morning News remarked, "The song stylist revisits her jazz roots on this passionate homage to the late great Ella Fitzgerald. Singing with Patrick Williams and the WDR Big Band - Mr. Williams' arrangements were written around Ms. Fitzgerald's original vocal improvisations - Ms. Austin never misses a beat."[7]
Sonia Murray of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, in a A- review commented, ""Absolutely beautiful" only begins to describe what happens when Patti Austin tries on the jewels of American treasure Ella Fitzgerald."[6] Clive Davis of The Times with praise wrote, "Instead of opting for a pop makeover, Austin sides with tradition, luxuriating in a sound that evokes the era of Fitzgerald's songbook albums without indulging in note-for-note copies."[8] Al Hunter Jr. of the Philadelphia Daily News noted, "Austin is in superb voice and carries Ella's spirit and songs supported by the fine WDR Big Band...One of the most satisfying discs this year."[9]
Accolades
[edit]For Ella was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Album.[10]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Too Close for Comfort" | George Weiss, Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener | 3:56 |
| 2. | "Honeysuckle Rose" | Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller | 4:13 |
| 3. | "You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" | Sam Coslow | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Our Love is Here to Stay" | George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | 5:28 |
| 5. | "A Tisket a Tasket" | Ella Fitzgerald, Van Alexander | 2:49 |
| 6. | "Miss Otis Regrets" | Cole Porter | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Hard Hearted Hannah, (The Vamp of Savannah)" | Charles Bates, Jack Yellen, Milton Ager, Robert Wilcox Bigelow | 3:28 |
| 8. | "But Not for Me" | George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | 3:53 |
| 9. | "Satin Doll" | Billy Strayhorn, Edward Kennedy Ellington, John H Mercer | 2:52 |
| 10. | "The Man I Love" | George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Hearing Ella Sing" | Arthur Hamilton, Patrick Williams | 2:53 |
| 12. | "How High the Moon" | William M Lewis Jr., Nancy Hamilton | 4:31 |
Personnel
[edit]- Patti Austin – vocals
- Patrick Williams – arrangements and conductor
- Terry Woodson Music – music preparation
- Claudius Krause – music librarian
Rhythm section
- Frank Chastenier – grand piano
- Paul Shigihara – guitars
- John Goldsby – bass
- Gregg Field – drums
Horn section
- Jens Neufeng, Olivier Peters, Rolf Römer, Harald Rosenstein and Heiner Wiberny – saxophones
- Lucas Schmid – bass trombone
- David Horler, Bernt Laukamp and Ludwig Nuss – trombone
- Andy Haderer – lead trumpet
- Rob Bruynen, Rick Kiefer, John Marshall and Klaus Osterloh – trumpet
WDR String Ensemble Köln
[edit]- Albert Jung – contractor
- Mischa Salevic – concertmaster
- Tillman Fischer, George Heimbach, Albert Jung and Ulrike Schäfer – cello
- Stephan Blaumer, Wilfried Engel, Bernhard Oll, Katja Püschel and Kai Strowasser – viola
- Manuela Belchior, Ursula Maria Berg, Adrian Bleyer, Koenraad Ellegiers, Colin Harrison, Johannes Oppelcz, Dirk Otte, Ingmar Püschel, Mischa Salevic, Christoph Seybold, Chizuko Takahashi, Sonja Wiedebusch and Chiharu Yuki – violin
Production
[edit]- Glen Barros – executive producer
- John Burk – executive producer
- Patrick Williams – producer
- Gregg Field – producer, additional mixing
- Wolfgang Hirschmann – producer, recording
- Reinhold Nickel – recording assistant
- Ruth Witt – recording assistant
- Don Murray – additional recording
- Seth Presant – additional recording, additional mixing
- Michaela Höck – additional live recording assistant
- Thomas Schringer – additional live recording assistant
- Al Schmitt – mixing
- Wil Donovan – additional mix assistant
- Steve Genewick – additional mix assistant
- John Hendrickson – additional mix assistant
- Norbert Ommer – live sound reinforcement
- Robert Hadley – mastering
- Doug Sax – mastering
- The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California, USA) – mastering location
- Valerie Whitesell – production manager
- Annette Hauber – coordinator for WDR
- Lisa Vasey – assistant to Patrick Williams
- Jürgen Winter – stage manager
- Abbey Anna – art direction
- Andrea R. Nelson – art direction, design
- Carol Friedman – cover photography
References
[edit]- ^ Patti Austin (2002). For Ella (album). Playboy Jazz/Concord Records.
- ^ "Patti Austin". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "For Ella - Patti Austin". AllMusic. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ a b Cohen, Howard (May 17, 2002). "8 CUTS ON `18' WOULD MAKE WHALE OF DIFFERENCE". Miami Herald. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via newsbank.com.
- ^ a b Gardner, Elysa; Jones, Steve; Mansfield, Brian (May 28, 2002). "Rush blazes 'Trails'; Austin does Ella". USA Today. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via newsbank.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Murray, Sonia (July 21, 2002). "audiophile". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via newsbank.com.
- ^ Tarradell, Mario (May 30, 2002). "WHAT'S IN THE CHANGER?". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via newsbank.com.
- ^ Davis, Clive (June 8, 2002). "concert and albums - Music". The Times. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via newsbank.com.
- ^ Jr. Hunter, Al (July 11, 2002). "Remember the musicians - . . . and support young talents by contributing to programs". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via newsbank.com.
- ^ "Patti Austin". The Recording Academy. Retrieved May 21, 2025.