Ella Fitzgerald - Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)

Ella Fitzgerald with a small, swinging combo and nothing to prove: Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! returns as part of Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series.

Recorded in Los Angeles in 1961 with Norman Granz producing, it pairs Ella with pianist Lou Levy, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Joe Mondragon and drummer Gus Johnson. Set between her lavish orchestral Songbook projects, this pared-back setting puts her phrasing front and centre, and she clearly relishes the freedom. Granz knew the best move was to give her a tight, sympathetic band and simply get out of the way.

She tears into 'A Night in Tunisia' with bebop daring, then turns ''Round Midnight' into a slow, smoky confession. 'Cry Me a River' gets a cool, knowing reading, and the title track is pure fun, Ella swinging hard with the band right on her heels. Across fourteen songs she moves from playful to heartbroken without ever losing that effortless, bell-clear tone, and Levy's light touch at the piano keeps everything buoyant.

Often overshadowed by the Songbooks, it deserves its place near the top of her Verve catalogue. This is Ella relaxed, inventive and swinging, the jazz singer's jazz singer at the peak of her form, and a joy to hear in this classic small-group setting.