Few people delved deeper into the new long player format than Ella. Unsatisfied with a mere forty-five minutes per disk, she compiled her song book series with no consideration for time limitations.

The “Cole Porter Song Book” was a double album, released at a time when even a single album still felt like a novelty, and it contained just under a full two hours of gloriously definitive recordings. This album marked the start of Ella’s tenure on the newly formed Verve Records, and the label seemed willing to grant her every wish. Label head Norman Granz was a visionary who recognized that jazz could easily become a mainstream style, if handled properly, and the combination of Ella’s voice with Porter’s material represented a perfect storm of sorts.

Arrangements remained more or less true to the songwriter’s intentions, providing up-to-date, pristine versions of classic material from one of America’s all-time best songwriters. The elegance of this collection elevated Ella to the same commercial plateau as Frank Sinatra, while providing a service to the rest of us by ensuring that the music of Cole Porter remained alive and well.

Featured Tracks:

All Through the Night

Anything Goes

Miss Otis Regrets

Too Darn Hot

In The Still of the Night

I Get a Kick Out of You

Do I Love You?

Always True to You in My Fashion

Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)

Just One Of Those Things

Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

All of You

Begin the Beguine

Get Out of Town

I Am in Love

From This Moment On

May 1956 - Billboard Charted #15