Ella Fitzgerald the Performer

 Ella Fitzgerald 

Image of Ella Fitzgerald | Artist | GRAMMY.com

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1976) is heralded as the most famous female jazz singer in American History. She grew up in New York in poverty and at age 17 joined a local theater to sing, where she started gaining traction. She joined a band called "Chick Webb" as the main vocalist. It was through this band that she became known as a pivotal voice in the swing era in the 40's and 50's. After the leader of the band passed away, she took it over and renamed it "Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra". It was under this title that she released all her most famous albums. She transitioned into scatting, jazz, and bebop. She toured the world and collaborated with many famous singers like Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra. Ella retired in the 90's due to health conditions with 13 Grammys and known as the "First Lady of Song".

Here I have attached her most famous scatting song, in which she improvised a scat that lasted for several minutes, showing her incredible skills. 

"How High The Moon"

Ella was unique in the sense that she was an interpreter for music; she didn't write her most famous songs, rather she transformed the work of other composers into something magical that made their music accessible and beloved by the listeners. Interpreters are important as they are the bridge between us and complex music that has a hidden story. Composers infuse emotion and storytelling into their pieces that we can't hear or understand, but singers like Ella are able to bring those stories and emotions to life through their voices. Ella had an impressive vocal range that allowed her to be flexible in her scatting, switching from high to low pitches on a dime effortlessly. She also has an interesting rhythm where she sings behind or ahead of the beat, creating that swing feel. She had an extremely clear, smooth, and warm voice that worked very well with jazz instruments. I personally love her music, and one of my favorite songs of hers is "They Can't Take That Away From Me" because of how her smooth voice seems to be talking back with Louis Armstrong's trumpet. This song is another example of her interpreting, as the song originates from the 1937 movie "Shall We Dance". 

"They Can't Take That Away From Me"

Sources: 

https://www.ellafitzgerald.com/biography/#/



Comments

  1. Tommy CroninApril 12, 2026 at 9:06 PM

    I really liked your post about Ella Fitzgerald, especially how you described her as an “interpreter” of music rather than just a performer. I agree with that idea because it’s true that she didn’t always write her songs, but she made them feel completely original. Her ability to take something already written and turn it into something new is honestly what makes her stand out. Your social commentary about interpreters being the bridge between composers and listeners was really interesting. I think that’s especially important in jazz because a lot of the emotion and complexity can be hard to pick up on if you’re not familiar with the style. Ella makes it more accessible, which probably helped jazz reach a wider audience during her time. One thing that you could think about adding is a little more about her improvisation style, and how important improvisation is to her work, especially in “How High the Moon.” Her scatting isn’t just showing off vocal ability—it’s almost like she’s treating her voice as another instrument in the band. When I looked up Ella that was another thing that came up.

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