This 2-CD compilation chronicles the original Decca recordings Ella Fitzgerald cut during her tenure with the Chick Webb Orchestra. The diminutive Chick Webb was a legendary drummer during the swing era who discovered the young Ella Fitzgerald.
Listeners used to Ella Fitzgerald's later work may be surprised by this two-disc collection of her first recordings, made in the mid-to-late '30s with the good-timey Chick Webb Orchestra. For one thing, it's pure swing in the Benny Goodman/Woody Herman tradition, with little of the blues influence of her later, more ballad-heavy work. Bouncy tunes like the sly "When I Get Low I Get High" and the novelty "Mr. Paganini," along with offbeat selections like "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen," predominate, lending these two discs the giddy spirit that's the hallmark of the best swing music.
What's even more surprising is Fitzgerald's voice. Whether due to her tender age (she was about 17 when she started singing with Webb) or the style of the times, Fitzgerald often sings in a high, breathy, girlish voice that's very much unlike her later honeyed tone. This may take some getting used to, but it's worth it. Fine material.
