Early Ella, nicely remastered...?
Moderators: Mr Awesomer, JesseMiner, CafeSavoy
-
- Posts: 277
- Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2002 4:29 pm
- Location: Eugene, OR
Early Ella, nicely remastered...?
Anybody have recommendations for a nicely remastered set of Ella's recordings with Chick Webb?
I've had this one forever:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... kku3lhan4k
..and I'd always assumed that they were just especially bad recordings in the first place.. but I was listening to another Chick Webb disc and it had a nice sounding "Sing Me a Swing Song" - so it occured to me that there's hope.
kevin
I've had this one forever:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... kku3lhan4k
..and I'd always assumed that they were just especially bad recordings in the first place.. but I was listening to another Chick Webb disc and it had a nice sounding "Sing Me a Swing Song" - so it occured to me that there's hope.
kevin
i don't have that particular disc. (i tried to get the sound sample on all music, but it's slow about sending me a password. amazon doesn't seem to have it.)
i have this ("strictly jive") chick webb disc, which has some early ella. "sing me a swing song" sounds fine, but maybe a little muffled (cut off of highs?).
i also have the most of the chronological ella, and "sing me a swing song" on "1935-1937" is brighter, but has hiss. i like it better than the one above, but perhaps the hiss is what bothers you?
update: allmusic sent me my password and i listened to "sing me a swing song" on the "young ella" disc. a) it sounds fine to me -- it's just old! b) it sounds like the chronological track.
i have this ("strictly jive") chick webb disc, which has some early ella. "sing me a swing song" sounds fine, but maybe a little muffled (cut off of highs?).
i also have the most of the chronological ella, and "sing me a swing song" on "1935-1937" is brighter, but has hiss. i like it better than the one above, but perhaps the hiss is what bothers you?
update: allmusic sent me my password and i listened to "sing me a swing song" on the "young ella" disc. a) it sounds fine to me -- it's just old! b) it sounds like the chronological track.
-
- Posts: 277
- Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2002 4:29 pm
- Location: Eugene, OR
it's sort of generally harsh and peaky in the high midrange and doesn't have any lows at all.. All the stuff I have under Chick Webb's name is recorded/remastered fine, it's that I shy away from music I dig on that Ella disc cuz it's *so* harsh..
I'll just listen around a little to find something else..
I'll just listen around a little to find something else..
Re: Early Ella, nicely remastered...?
I couldn't follow that link. Which cd is it? I haven't seen a remastered version of early ella, but there is some variation in the cds that exist. The Swingsation cds mentioned have pretty decent sound.KevinSchaper wrote:Anybody have recommendations for a nicely remastered set of Ella's recordings with Chick Webb?
I've had this one forever:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... kku3lhan4k
..and I'd always assumed that they were just especially bad recordings in the first place.. but I was listening to another Chick Webb disc and it had a nice sounding "Sing Me a Swing Song" - so it occured to me that there's hope.
kevin
There is a rather complete, well-mastered Decca/GRP compilation here. It is a four-disc set. It also comes split into two 2-disc sets: one under Chicak Webb's name and the other under Ella's name. I bought the two 2-disc sets apparently before it was consolidated into a single set.
- JesseMiner
- Posts: 1034
- Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 5:36 pm
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Contact:
I was wondering when somebody was going to mention this set. It's the best quality that I have heard. Decca does such a great job with their collections.Lawrence wrote:There is a rather complete, well-mastered Decca/GRP compilation here. It is a four-disc set. It also comes split into two 2-disc sets: one under Chicak Webb's name and the other under Ella's name. I bought the two 2-disc sets apparently before it was consolidated into a single set.
I've compared tracks from the "Early Ella" CD to those on the Decca set, and the difference is great, especially on "Sing Me A Swing Song". Much less harsh on the highs and more lows. This is the set to get for early Ella recordings.KevinSchaper wrote:it's sort of generally harsh and peaky in the high midrange and doesn't have any lows at all.. All the stuff I have under Chick Webb's name is recorded/remastered fine, it's that I shy away from music I dig on that Ella disc cuz it's *so* harsh..
Jesse
If I remember correctly, it's great. Nothing new or innovative, but the band didn't fall apart or completely lose its stuff after Chick Webb died, either. Very consistent sound as the other one.
Also, I was somewhat mistaken about the first set being sold under Chick Webb's name. There are actually THREE two-discs sets that I own with similar packaging and mastering (obviously made as part of the same project): one of pre-Ella Chick Webb stuff; one mostly with Ella when Chick was still alive; and a third mostly of post-Webb Ella. The latter two 2-disc sets are sold under Ella's name, one noting "With the Chick Webb Orchestra" and the other noting that it was Ella's band.
Also, I was somewhat mistaken about the first set being sold under Chick Webb's name. There are actually THREE two-discs sets that I own with similar packaging and mastering (obviously made as part of the same project): one of pre-Ella Chick Webb stuff; one mostly with Ella when Chick was still alive; and a third mostly of post-Webb Ella. The latter two 2-disc sets are sold under Ella's name, one noting "With the Chick Webb Orchestra" and the other noting that it was Ella's band.
I'm pretty sure I have the two sets they're talking about (currently in B.C. so can't check right now) but if I do I can bring them down and let you give them a listen.
I'm not an obsessive personality. I just happen to pick hobbies that seem to consume my life.
www.lindyguy.com
www.lindyguy.com