Mack the Knife : the Complete

Jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald performed in Berlin to rapturous appreciation on a number of occasions, but this 1960 recording is her most acclaimed. Performing jazz standards with her inimitable vocal acrobatics, Ella wows the Berlin audience with her unique interpretations and improvisations of song. Arguably one of the best jazz vocalists ever, Ella peppers the performance with endearing between-song commentary and warm laughter.The album features jazz classics including 'The Lady is a Tramp', 'The Man I Love', 'Too Darn Hot', and a stunning knock-off of the Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht Threepenny Opera centrepiece, 'Mack the Knife', with a loving homage to both Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin, whose swingin' hit arrangements of the song inform Ella's electrifying take.I first bought this a few months after arriving in Japan, as a paper sleeve CD issued by Polydor Japan. For years I have wanted this album on vinyl, and now I own it. It's even warmer and more engaging than the compact disc, but of course most of that is down to Ella's superb performance. An absolute gem!The pressing is superb, with no warps or surface noise. Worthy of more than five stars if I could give some extras, for both its audio quality and the legendary performance itself, sounding as fresh after all these years as it did in 1960.

This cd is , by far, the best one of Ella Fitzgerald in concert . Year after year, it's always the most popular cd of this great lady, even after 55 years. So if you want only one cd of Ella, buy this one: her voice here is at his peak, she's very funny on several songs, and her rendition of Mack the Knife is famous since all this years. What more can i say? Buy this cd and you'll never regret it!

I had this album almost 40 years ago, and played the crap out of it. Probably my favourite Ella album. The pressing was great and the sound is just as I remember it. If I could give it 6 stars, I would. Also, it arrived quickly, which was nice.

There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with Ella! It was just that side B kept skipping from the middle towards the end. Side A gets 5 stars! It was a new record, so I doubt the seller knew about side B's skipping issue. I don't blame the seller but I'm too lazy to return it especially with this whole COVID situation

Quite simply a classic! Vintage Ella, is about all one can say - perhaps her best live album, from her Jazz at the Philharmonic 1960 tour. All the good songs - Black Magic, Gone with the Wind, Lady is a Tramp, Too Darn Hot, Mack the Knife... plus the famous version of How High the Moon, where she forgets the lyrics and just improvises for chorus after chorus. Tremendous scat singing and a big, bubbly personality that hid the pretty dreadful story of her abusive childhood. This was practically the first music I ever heard and every note has remained fresh in my mind.