Getting a little obsessed with the Lady Diva Jazz Singers Extraordinaire these days... perhaps just as a way to distract myself from obsessing over Amy Winehouse. I'm going to post "Take The 'A' Train" and "Lullaby of Birdland" by both Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. Please indulge me by telling me which you prefer... and why. I'm interested to know!
Okay, here goes:
ReplyDeleteSarah Vaughn's Lullaby of Birdland tops it for me cause I love the way she gurgles down into her throat, creating a coy & sassy tremolo. Her singing is more lyrical than Ella's on this one and I prefer the arrangement as well. Also I love the way she articulates her words. Especially 'pillow' and 'Lullaby'- very musical.
Ella's version is cool the way she has this up beat swing thing and is just ahead of the pulse- pushing the feel to make it really swingy. But her tone doesn't turn me on as much Sarah's version. However, the second time around she really goes sweet with the way she plays with the octaves. The BG singers are swank.
Take the A Train:
Wow Ella! Such great skat! I love this part of the tune and also the trumpeter and the way he plays around the room -the sound moves away and towards the mic. Great version of this song.
Sarahs' version has a good wooie woo train skat at the beginning and I love the arrangement with the horns doing those shots that sound like a train chugging along. I think I love both of these version equally. Well maybe Ella's just a titch more.
Thanks for asking.
Over-all I feel much the same way about both songs. I prefer Sarah's Lullaby of Birdland because as you say, her singing is more lyrical/expressive, and I love her tone. Ella's singing is of course beautiful and so clean, but it doesn't move me the same way. I do love the little shots of hammond organ in Ella's version.
ReplyDeleteWith Take The 'A' Train, I'm on the fence as well. I love the arrangement in Ella's version, and it really swings. But again with Sarah I'm just more seduced by her voice. Ella's skat is pretty sweet though.
I've got to go with Sara on Lullaby as well for all the same reasons plus, I think, that is the version I know and have heard the most. I like the Ella A Train. Great arrangement, hot scatting, and a sort of urgency. Sara definitely puts her own mark on the song too.
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