Ella Fitzgerald - Rhythm Is My Business + 2 Bonus Tracks! [LP]

This 1999 reissue contains two bonus tracks not included on the original release.Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Bill Doggett (conductor, arranger, organ); Phil Woods, Jerry Dodgion, Carl Davis, Wilmer Shakesnider, Les Taylor (reeds); Ray Copeland, Taft Jordan, Ernie Royal, Joe Wilder (trumpet); Melba Liston, Kai Winding, Britt Woodman (trombone); Hank Jones (piano); Mundell Lowe (guitar); George Duvivier, Lucille Dixon (bass); Gus Johnson (drums).Producer: Norman Granz.Reissue producers: Bryan Koniarz, Jerry Rappaport.Recorded at Webster Hall, New York, New York on January 30 & 31, 1962. Originally relesed on Verve (4056). Includes liner notes by Benny Green.Digitally remastered by Kevin Reeves (Polygram Studio).This is part of Verve's Verve By Request series.Ella Fitzgerald recorded countless albums for Verve in '50s and the '60s, almost all of them good. One would have thought too that they would all be reissued on CD by now. But Verve has managed to find a couple of rare Ella titles for its connoisseur By Request series, one of which is this Basie-like hard-swinging session with the R&B organist Bill Doggett of "Honky Tonk Pt. 2" fame. The early '60s were a good time for Fitzgerald. The monumental achievement of the Verve Songbooks was behind her and she could relax and enjoy her success.Not that she is coasting here. On the contrary, her vocal powers were at a peak in 1962 and she commands the large orchestra with ease and authority. Doggett arranges and conducts as a jazzman on this date so RHYTHM IS MY BUSINESS isn't quite the Ray Charles-like affair one might be led to expect. Ella just wasn't that kind of singer. But no singer before or since has swung so effortlessly and with such, yes, verve.