Gershwin–The Man I Love, Ella

The second singer that we are going to feature today is Ella Fitzgerald. She recorded this song in her sessions underwritten by the Verve label; this was part of the Gershwin Songbook. Now, in general, Verve was known for its dedication to preserving jazz performances; yet, this orchestration is not pure jazz. It starts with a solo piano, then adds strings and then a wind section. It sounds like a full orchestra sat in on this session.

As to Ella, she became one of the great jazz stylists of her era; but she does not give this a jazz interpretation. Instead, she sings a dramatic love song that builds in intensity until the end. And in the end, we should realize that Ella was much more than just a jazz stylist.