Search - Ella Fitzgerald :: 1954-1955

Will Friedwald, one of the foremost writers on jazz vocalists, is not known to exaggerate. We assume he simply expressed his great admiration of Ella Fitzgerald when he wrote: 'She has a wider range than most opera singers, and many of the latter, including Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, are among her biggest fans. And the intonation that goes with the voice is, to put it conservatively, God like. Fitzgerald simply exists in tune, and she hits every note that there is without the slightest trace of effort. Other singers tend to sound like they're trying to reach up to a note - Fitzgerald always sounds like she's already there. If anything, she's descending from her heavenly perch and swooping down to whatever pitch she wants.'