Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book


Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book is a 1963 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. The album focuses on the songs of the composer Jerome Kern.
This was the second of Fitzgerald's Song Book series to have been orchestrated by Riddle; their previous collaboration was her George and Ira Gershwin Song Book in 1959. Fitzgerald and Riddle also recorded two albums of standards, Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson and Ella Swings Gently with Nelson, in 1962.
This was the seventh and penultimate album in Fitzgerald's Song Book series of songs written by musical theater composers; it was preceded by 1961's Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book and followed by Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book in 1964.
Awarded four and a half stars by Down Beat magazine in 1963.

Track listing

For the 1963 Verve LP release; Verve V6-4060; Re-issued in 2005 on CD, Verve B0003933-02
Side One:
  1. "Let's Begin" – 2:56
  2. "A Fine Romance" – 3:36
  3. "All the Things You Are" – 3:15
  4. "I'll Be Hard to Handle" – 3:47
  5. "You Couldn't Be Cuter" – 3:13
  6. "She Didn't Say Yes" – 3:20
Side Two:
  1. "I'm Old Fashioned" – 3:27
  2. "Remind Me" – 3:50
  3. "The Way You Look Tonight" – 4:28
  4. "Yesterdays" – 2:51
  5. "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" – 3:54
  6. "Why Was I Born?" – 3:44
All music written by Jerome Kern with lyricists as indicated.

Personnel

Recorded January 5-7, 1963 at Radio Recorders Studio 10H, Los Angeles:
Tracks 1,3,5-6 and 8
On Tracks 2,4, and 7:
Personnel same as tracks 1,3,5-6, and 8 except Felix Slatkin and Marshall Sosson violin replace Don Lube and Sidney Sharp; Edgar Lustgarten cello replaces Ray Kramer; and add Ann Stockton on harp.