{"id":2305,"date":"2017-05-01T14:35:10","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T18:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nialangley.com\/blog\/?p=2305"},"modified":"2017-06-14T10:45:07","modified_gmt":"2017-06-14T14:45:07","slug":"song-month-airmail-special-ella-fitzgerald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nialangley.com\/blog\/song-month-airmail-special-ella-fitzgerald\/","title":{"rendered":"Song of the Month: “Airmail Special” by Ella Fitzgerald"},"content":{"rendered":"

My song of the month is “Airmail Special” by Ella Fitzgerald. Last week held Fitzgerald’s centennial birthday; but before I knew that I heard this song for the first time two weeks ago (and I haven’t stopped listening since). I watched Jacquelin Harris and Megan Jakel of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dance<\/a> Artistic Director Robert Battle’s\u00a0Ella <\/em>to a live recording of “Airmail Special.” Battle originally choreographed the ballet as a solo, then reinvented it as a duet in anticipation of the legend’s centennial. I was blown away by the explosive dance, but I couldn’t get my mind around the dazzlingly\u00a0mind-blowing talent displayed by The Queen of Jazz.<\/p>\n

Fitzgerald’s lightning-fast scatting is articulate, her intonation is precise, and her tone is pure. The vocal acrobatics she delivers are so perfect; and the song is just straight up\u00a0fun<\/em>, from Fitzgerald’s first note to her singing\u00a0four octaves in one breath at the end. I have no doubt that everyone at the Newport Jazz Festival enjoyed watching her perform. After listening to this,\u00a0no one will doubt why Ella Fitzgerald was called\u00a0The First Lady of Song.<\/p>\n

Enjoy.<\/p>\n