The Collection: 1938-45

• Tracklisting

Along with Billie Holiday and other contemporaries like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald was one of the great singers to emerge from the golden age of jazz singing as a premier exponent of an art form which often crossed over into the popular music world, although this crossover very rarely compromised the artistic integrity we associate them. This collection traces the first decade of her recording career, starting with Chick Webb and His Orchestra, and recording with her own band, before taking over when Webb died, and then going solo. It shows her development from talented but inexperienced band singer to versatile star adept at delivering a range of material with maturity and subtlety. It is a fascinating and always entertaining musical journey