Nutty Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Hello everyone. I can't decide if I should splurge and get the Complete Ella Songbook set or buy the invidual CDs in remastered form. Anyone know if there's much difference in sound quality between the box set and the individual CD releases? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Nutty, I don't have the big set. I decided to pick up the single sets (in their Verve Master Edition incarnations). Some of them do include material not in the box. Regarding sound, I cannot make any comments. The box however is several years old, while some of the single songbook reissues are fairly recent. Maybe there are some differences or improvements? ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 By the time I decided I wanted the whole thing, I had too many individual sets to make the big set that attractive, but that's strictly a money decision not a sound one. Although my wife thinks it was a sound decision... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 Although my wife thinks it was a sound decision... The music is fabulous, by the way! I have the Porter and Ellington set, and have heard the old edition of the Gershwin, and the Berlin. Great stuff! Can someone post what's in the liners/booklet of the box? Is there the usual lavish Verve documentation (as in the Powell or the Evans)? ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdogus Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 (edited) I can't comment on the big box either, nutty, but I've thought about saving for it to be sure - more to have it all, not as a sound issue. As of now, I've got older Cole Porter and Ellington stand-alone songbooks, and a newer, remastered stand-alone Harold Arlen songbook. The Arlen has somewhat fuller sound, but honest to god, they all sound great to me. I do sort of like the cardboard digipak on the newer editions of the individual songbooks, but wonder how they'll stand up in the long term compared to standard jewel boxes. Good documentation all around. Edited November 26, 2003 by gdogus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris olivarez Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 It's one I'll get when I become a billionare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Can someone post what's in the liners/booklet of the box? The set includes a 119-page, hardbound booklet, with discographies of the sessions; an essay about the composers by Benny Green; a history of the songbooks by John McDonough; a handful of color or b&w photos; and also an alphabetized index of all the songs included in the box. I bought mine used a few years after it was issued, and I've seen a number of used copies in the years since. So, keep your eyes open- you can save yourself a whole lot of $ by getting a used set. I haven't owned any of the more recent individual CD issues, so I can't offer any help regarding the sound quality differences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Thanks for this information, Jim! Looks interesting (as I assumed)! Though I never saw the box here, neither new nor used... but luck may fall on me some day... ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 I found a used copy a couple years back for well under half the original list price...and that was on half.com, out in plain view! If you're interested, and can get a deal, I'd highly recommend it. While I'm sure there are some sonic upgrades with the newer Master Editions of some sessions, the remastering in the box is superb, holds up well, and the mini-book and LP facsimile sleeves are great. A killer set, and the more I listen the more I'm convinced this type of thing was Ella's best setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 Is that Eric Alexander on the screen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 Nope, that's Long Tall Dex (captured in the film ROUND MIDNIGHT). BTW the little bald cat in the front row asking for another scotch (OK, breast milk) is not a movie or music critic, just our little 4.5 month old...although he does appear to have discerning taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 I could never afford the box, so I've been picking up the individual sets from BMG. So far, all the ones I've purchased have been the retail version (with the regular bar code). I picked them up for around $10 for each double cd set. The only drag is that one of the sets had broken teeth on the cd spindle. But, I can live with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 Resurrecting an old thread to tell anyone interested that the complete Songbook box is available thru yourmusic.com for less than $100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolff Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 (edited) Resurrecting an old thread to tell anyone interested that the complete Songbook box is available thru yourmusic.com for less than $100. Or.....you can buy the 4(10 LP's) in print Songbook titles released, in analog, by Speaker's Corner(Germany) for about $280. Edited April 17, 2005 by wolff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyo Posted November 23, 2007 Report Share Posted November 23, 2007 Resurrecting this thread because I just ordered the whole thing for 89 Euro. Funny thing is: It'll be the first Ella that I'll own. What an introduction. I got the idea from the Amazon Box Sets Sale thread - the Ellington Songbook set seemed interesting but then I remembered that I'd seen this much bigger collection mentioned before. Listened to the samples and just had to order it! I've never heard vocal versions of most of those tunes in my life despite knowing many of them as instrumental jazz versions. It'll be interesting to hear them that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron S Posted November 24, 2007 Report Share Posted November 24, 2007 Resurrecting this thread because I just ordered the whole thing for 89 Euro. Funny thing is: It'll be the first Ella that I'll own. What an introduction. I got the idea from the Amazon Box Sets Sale thread - the Ellington Songbook set seemed interesting but then I remembered that I'd seen this much bigger collection mentioned before. Listened to the samples and just had to order it! I've never heard vocal versions of most of those tunes in my life despite knowing many of them as instrumental jazz versions. It'll be interesting to hear them that way. You'll love it. It's a phenomenal set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmonahan Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 Resurrecting this thread because I just ordered the whole thing for 89 Euro. Funny thing is: It'll be the first Ella that I'll own. What an introduction. I got the idea from the Amazon Box Sets Sale thread - the Ellington Songbook set seemed interesting but then I remembered that I'd seen this much bigger collection mentioned before. Listened to the samples and just had to order it! I've never heard vocal versions of most of those tunes in my life despite knowing many of them as instrumental jazz versions. It'll be interesting to hear them that way. You'll love it. It's a phenomenal set! Oh yeah. I consider it one of the anchors of my collection. Ira Gershwin was so excited that Ella was going to sing his songs that he re-wrote a few for her, and Berlin bothered Grantz so much they didn't even tell him they were going to do his until after it was done. I think many (even a Sinatra-phile like me) would consider Ella's versions to be definitive. Enjoy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 I've never heard vocal versions of most of those tunes in my life despite knowing many of them as instrumental jazz versions. It'll be interesting to hear them that way. This is an essential reference set for the jazz lover. These records, along with Sinatra's long-players, defined the canon of "American Standards." Among its many virtues is Ella's clear expression of the lyrics . Whether you're a musician or a serious listener, you need to know the lyrics. Just ask Lester Young... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 My enthusiasm has waned a bit... but I did get the Gershwin 4CD set in another (UK, I think) Amazon sale a year or two back, and that's a fine one. I got it together with the Ella/Louis 3CD set, which has lots of fun music on it, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmonahan Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 My enthusiasm has waned a bit... but I did get the Gershwin 4CD set in another (UK, I think) Amazon sale a year or two back, and that's a fine one. I got it together with the Ella/Louis 3CD set, which has lots of fun music on it, too. Personally, I'd rate the Cole Porter and Duke Ellington song books as at least as good as the Gershwin set, which was very fine. One of the nicer aspects of Ella's treatments of these songs is that she always sang the verse. It's one of the features that so excited the composers who were still living when she recorded them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron S Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 My enthusiasm has waned a bit... but I did get the Gershwin 4CD set in another (UK, I think) Amazon sale a year or two back, and that's a fine one. I got it together with the Ella/Louis 3CD set, which has lots of fun music on it, too. Personally, I'd rate the Cole Porter and Duke Ellington song books as at least as good as the Gershwin set, which was very fine. One of the nicer aspects of Ella's treatments of these songs is that she always sang the verse. It's one of the features that so excited the composers who were still living when she recorded them. As I recall, the Harold Arlen is also a great one--sorta took me by surprise the first time I heard it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Oh well, I'll eventually get the missing ones... I'm just in no hurry! I love the songs of Gershwin (or rather: of the Gershwins, the lyrics often play an important part in my liking them!), and Porter may simply be the best for me, all considered... I didn't mean to set up any rating in my last post, but I didn't connect with the Porter box as much as with the Ellington and Gershwin boxes. But that's mostly due to the backing bands and arrangements, I think... and also some of my favourite songs are absent on the Porter (though that again may make it better, since some of the most often done songs are absent... but still I like some of those best...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Ella and Gershwin. This one still remains the best: with accompaniment by the impeccable Ellis Larkins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomastreichler Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 My enthusiasm has waned a bit... but I did get the Gershwin 4CD set in another (UK, I think) Amazon sale a year or two back, and that's a fine one. I got it together with the Ella/Louis 3CD set, which has lots of fun music on it, too. Personally, I'd rate the Cole Porter and Duke Ellington song books as at least as good as the Gershwin set, which was very fine. One of the nicer aspects of Ella's treatments of these songs is that she always sang the verse. It's one of the features that so excited the composers who were still living when she recorded them. As I recall, the Harold Arlen is also a great one--sorta took me by surprise the first time I heard it. The Harold Arlen set is one of the best of the songbooks with superb backing by Billy May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Resurrecting this thread because I just ordered the whole thing for 89 Euro. Funny thing is: It'll be the first Ella that I'll own. What an introduction. I got the idea from the Amazon Box Sets Sale thread - the Ellington Songbook set seemed interesting but then I remembered that I'd seen this much bigger collection mentioned before. Listened to the samples and just had to order it! I've never heard vocal versions of most of those tunes in my life despite knowing many of them as instrumental jazz versions. It'll be interesting to hear them that way. I don't think you'll regret it. A great set, and as Kalo and Lester say, you've got to know those lyrics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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