Ella Fitzgerald was categorized as a Jazz singer, yet this talented female singer was much more than that. Fitzgerald could sing Pop, Swing, Ballads, and Jazz. Plus, she had the unique talent of having the ability to sing Scat. She began to sing scat as she worked with Dizzy Gillespie’s band. According to Ella, she just attempted to do with her voice what she heard the horns within the band doing. The NY Times described her Scat-style “Flying Home” recording as amongst the most influential vocal jazz records of her decade.
In 1935, Fitzgerald began her singing career with big bands like Chuck Webb’s Orchestra. At that time they were playing at the Harlem Savoy Ballroom. Ella recorded multiple hit songs like “If You Can’t Sing It You’ll Have to Swing It,” and “Love and Kisses.” Ella recorded more than 150 songs when with the orchestra.
Ella, in 1942, left the band world to concentrate on her career as a solo artist. She signed up with the Decca label and had many hit songs as she worked with Norman Granz, a Jazz producer. In the 1940s after swing music, jazz started taking on a different style referred to as Bebop.
Ella, in 1955, left the Decca label to sing on Granz’s new label, Verve Records. She said Granz produced her record of Cole Porter Songbook and added that it was a turning point within her life. It was the 1st of 8 multi-record “Songbook” sets which she’d record for Verve until the year 1964.
One other album production of Norman Granz included “Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Songbook.” This was the sole Songbook the composer of the tunes played with her.
Within the years that Fitzgerald was recording Songbooks she additionally toured 40 to 45 weeks a year within the U.S. and around the nation which assisted her in becoming one of the most critical live jazz singers.
Within her later life she kept busy touring; however, her health started declining. In 1986, Ella had heart surgery. Also, her eyesight was failing, she had diabetes, and both her legs got amputated below her knee. Ella wasn’t able to perform and never fully recovered. Ella passed away in 1996 in her Beverly Hills, California home.
