Ella Fitzgerald – Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) – Analogue Productions/Verve/ Universal Music CVRJ 4043 SA SACD Stereo-only, 32:32 ****1/2:
(Ella Fitzgerald – vocals; Paul Smith – piano)
Analogue Productions has released a great collection of classics interpreted by one of the finest singers of all time. Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) features thirteen songs ostensibly (not all of these were included originally) from the film of the same name. This forgettable movie was a sequel to the crime drama Knock On Any Door (whose legacy includes the memorable line, “Live fast, die young and have a good-looking corpse”).
Accompanied by a sole pianist (Paul Smith), familiar standards are reinvented to reflect the melancholy nuances of Ella. And like her previous outing, Ella Sings Gershwin (1950), Fitzgerald is in peak form. The album opens with a bluesy piano intro to “Black Coffee”. Many people associate this composition with Sarah Vaughan or Peggy Lee, and now it is an Ella classic. Her melancholic, subtle delivery is matched by impeccable jazz phrasing. One of the most frequently recorded jazz/vocal numbers, “Angel Eyes”, has a near-mournful ambiance. Fitzgerald’s legendary vocal skills are enhanced by a meditative, winsome essence. Of course there are voice trills and modulations that remain timeless. Regardless of the familiarity in tunes like “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”, “My Melancholy Baby” and “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”, new life and a graceful sophistication transforms them into meditations.
For anyone uncertain about the Ella Fitzgerald mystique, all that is required is one listen to “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)”. Smith’s atmospheric chords mesh perfectly with Ella’s compelling take on the ultimate “Three A.M.” tune. Her emotive tonality and wistful narrative elegance are nothing short of brilliant. The same languid fluency envelops “Then You’ve Never Been Blue”. Her voice and interpretive acumen are extraordinary. Each song is a distinctive rumination on love (“I Hadn’t Anyone Till You”, “Misty”), the passage of time (“September Song”) of heartbreak (“Who’s Sorry Now”). There is an aged mellowness, but the pitch, breath control and artistic flourishes are first-rate.
Analogue Productions has done a masterful job in re-mastering Let No Man Write My Epitaph to SACD format. The stereo balance is outstanding. Paul Smith’s piano is crisp and full of texture. More importantly, the lead instrument (Fitzgerald’s voice) is captured with warmth and pristine detail (especially on the lower register vibrato). This is another landmark recording of an American institution.
TrackList: Black Coffee; Angel Eyes; I Cried For You; I Can’t Give You Anything But Love; Then You’ve Never Been Blue; I Hadn’t Anyone Till You; My Melancholy Baby; Misty; September Song; One For My Baby (And One More For The Road); Who’s Sorry Now; I’m Getting Sentimental Over You; Reach For Tomorrow
–Robbie Gerson