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Ella Fitzgerald Christmas CD

Ella Fitzgerald Christmas Songs & Music

With a stunning voice spanning three octaves, it is hard for Ella Fitzgerald's music to be anything but spectacular. "Lady Ella" was the brightest star of the jazz world throughout the fifties and sixties and even turned her trademark swing to some holiday favourites.

Ella Fitzgerald Christmas Albums

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

1960: Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

In 1959, Ella Fitzgerald released two holiday singles; The Christmas Song and The Secret of Christmas. The popularity of these tracks led to a full-length seasonal album the following year. The eighteen tracks of Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas are everything you would expect from the woman dubbed the “First Lady of Song”. Classics like Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer are given an uplifting jazz treatment, whilst Fitzgerald’s rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is much more light-hearted and bright than many versions. Of course, the two previously released singles are part of the mix, along with three interesting alternative tracks recorded with a different orchestra to the rest of the album.

Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas

1967: Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas

Fitzgerald’s second seasonal album is a stark contrast to the sensational swing of her first Christmas record. Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas is a restrained collection of sacred classics such as Silent Night and Away in a Manger, without a jingling sleigh bell in sight. Fitzgerald approaches each of the thirteen tracks with reverence and is accompanied throughout by the choir of Ralph Carmichael. The album however, lacks the originality and style of Ella’s first holiday album and, while it is obvious the star was aiming to show her versatility, Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas is something of a disappointment for fans of her trademark jazz style.

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