A never-before-heard live recording from the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, has surfaced. The Lost Berlin Tapes will be released on Verve Records on October 2, 2020.
The Lost Berlin Tapes were recorded in stereo at Berlin’s Sportpalast on March 25, 1962 and finds Ella at the top of her game with a trio led by pianist Paul Smith, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. Fitzgerald played Berlin two years prior, where she famously turned forgotten lyrics into absolutely sensational improvisation — ad-libbing lyrics while channeling her best Louis Armstrong. The first single from the album is a buoyant new take on “Mack the Knife,” the title track from Ella in Berlin.
Watch the animated lyric video below.
The Lost Berlin Tapes tracklist:
1. Cheek To Cheek
2. He’s My Kind Of Boy
3. Cry Me A River
4. I Won’t Dance
5. Someone To Watch Over Me
6. Jersey Bounce
7. Angel Eyes
8. Clap Hands, Here Come Charlie
9. Taking A Chance On Love
10. C’est Magnifique
11. Good Morning Heartache
12. Hallelujah, I Love Him So
13. Hallelujah, I Love Him So (Reprise)
14. Summertime
15. Mr. Paganini
16. Mack The Knife
17. Wee Baby Blues
Pre-order ‘Ella Fitzgerald: The Lost Berlin Tapes’
*Gif image courtesy of Verve Records
