More Joy: Ella in Berlin

[marycrawford]

sdwolfpup has declared today More Joy Day, and I like the idea very much, and seeing all the cheerful things posted on my flist.

I've posted this song before, a year or two ago, but it's still my #1 song for an instant mood lift. I hope it makes some of you smile, too.

This is Ella Fitzgerald, during an electrifying live performance in Berlin, singing Mack The Knife. Bobby Darin had just had a hit with his jazz version of it, I think, and as she says in the intro, "We haven't heard a girl sing it, and since it's so popular we'd like to try and do it for you; we hope we remember all the words."

Ella singing Mack The Knife in Berlin (at Mediafire, 5.2 Mb)

Things start off well, and then after the first four verses the fireworks begin when Ella loses the lyrics.

I'd think if I were a singer this would be a nightmare. Ella, however, turns it into a fantastic impromptu performance: she makes up her own lyrics on the fly (and they RHYME - my favorite is "And now Ella, Ella/And her fellas/Are making a wreck/Of Mack the Knife", how awesome is that?), and she does a really uncannily good imitation of Louis Armstrong, and the whole thing is just full of joy and the sheer delight of winging it and turning a mistake into something exhilarating.

(These are the real lyrics.)

Comments

[sdwolfpup.livejournal.com]

This sounds fantastic, I can't wait to hear it!

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Hope you liked it! And thank you, because I really love all the More Joy Day posts. I think 2008 should be the More Joy Year, don't you? *g*

[absolutedestiny.livejournal.com]

Nice, thanks for that!

Here's another version of her performing it, this time at the Cote D'Azur:

http://www.mediafire.com/?1lxwywhs9lm

a little more upbeat, from one of my fave ella albums.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! And oh, yeah, that one is awesome too - so happy and, well, joyous. Ella is just amazing.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

OMG That's fantastic. Hilarious. I've forgotten lyrics in concert before, and it's never worked out that well. There was that one time when the soloist on "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" kept singing verse 2... We were caught in an infinite loop.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Yay, I'm glad to hear it! And hee, I can so see being caught in an infinite loop. If I were a singer, that would probably happen to me all the time.

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have that on my comp to. :-D It is FANTASTIC!!! Hell, she was/is fantastic. :-D

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

*nodsnods* Seriously amazing. I wish I could have seen her in concert once; watching YouTube videos isn't quite the same.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you for this. I love Ella. So much.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Yay, I'm glad! I love Ella too, very much.

[floetcist.livejournal.com]

Hi!
I just found your Hercules site, I've never seen it before (and I thought I've seen everything thats related to H:TLJ/X:WP, lol) and its really good. Would you like to be affiliates? I have a Lucy Lawless fan site. If you do, just let me know! I'm adding you right now in advanced in case you say yes. lol :)

d'oh

[floetcist.livejournal.com]

The link is here. lol Juicy Flawless (http://www.juicy-flawless.org)

Re: d'oh

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Hi! Sorry, I don't do affiliations, I just link to a couple of favorite HtLJ websites, but thanks for asking! (And of course you're welcome to link to my site if you want.)

[treelines.livejournal.com]

So. An LJ friend with whom I'm catching up has an old entry which directed me to Joy Day, and the comments directed me here, but Mediafire has misplaced Ella's Mac. I love Ella. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind re-uploading the track? I can exchange some Ella or other jazz (a rendition of "Salt Peanuts" that has impromptu-ish lyrics) in return?

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Here you go: http://www.mediafire.com/?zymtnn43jwx

I think I've got pretty much all of Ella (I do adore her), so if you want to upload something else jazzy that brings you joy, that would be lovely!