SwingDJs

Hey everybody, I have a question. When I started to build my cd collection, I tried to get a little bit of everybody so I don't have a ton of cd's by single artists. I would like to fill out some artists a little more, specifically Ella Fitzgerald and Lionel Hampton.

I know that there can be a lot of overlap and I am also on a pretty tight budget so I don't want to waste my money. So I guess what I'm asking is, what are some of your favorite essential albums by them?

Thanks

For Lionel Hampton, I have to recommend the Proper Box Set: The Lionel Hampton Story.

For Ella, start with The The Early Years

it's usually good to keep artist threads separate.

having said that, i'll second the nomination for hamp's proper box and add recommendations for ella's duke ellington song book

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 2?v=glance

"The Early Years Pt 1 & 2"

Ella with Chick Webb (1935-1938), my favorite years to hear her singing.

-FF

For more modern Ella:
Ella at Newport and "Juan les Pins" -both are awesome!
I have a mix CD with 20 songs between those 2 albums. Although some are different versions of the same songs (which I think is fun).
I also like 'Bluella', 'On the sunny side of the street' (with Basie) and at 'Cote D'Jour' (with Ellington), and 3 albums with Louis Armstrong doing Gershwin tunes.