Is Ella à Nice a good place to start with Ella Fitzgerald?

Yes, Ella à Nice is recommended as a starting point for new Ella Fitzgerald listeners. A vibrant blend of jazz standards and bossa nova, showcasing Fitzgerald's timeless vocal prowess and improvisational skill. Released in 1982, Ella à Nice marks one of the final studio albums of Ella Fitzgerald’s illustrious career. At this point, she was celebrated as a jazz icon, reflecting decades of influence on the genre after her initial rise to fame in the 1930s and 1940s. This album captures her interpretations of classic songs, highlighting her ability to adapt to changing musical styles.

Who is Ella à Nice for?

Ella à Nice works well if you're into velvet voice for evening relaxation, dynamic medleys for varied moods and wave-like pacing invites immersion.

How many songs are on Ella à Nice?

Ella à Nice has 11 tracks, running approximately 51 minutes.

Ella à Nice

Ella Fitzgerald · 1982

51 min · 11 tracks · jazz

A vibrant blend of jazz standards and bossa nova, showcasing Fitzgerald's timeless vocal prowess and improvisational skill.

Spotify Apple Music

YouTube Music YouTube Deezer Bandcamp SoundCloud

Own it: Amazon eBay

Top tracks — play these first

→
Summertime — Fitzgerald's rendition transforms this classic into a hauntingly beautiful exploration of longing, demonstrating her unmatched emotional depth.
→
Night and Day Start here — Her interpretation features intricate phrasing and dynamic tempo shifts, showing off her remarkable vocal agility and interpretive skills.
→
The Many Faces of Cole Porter Medley: Get Out of Town / Easy to Love / You Do Something to Me — This medley exemplifies Fitzgerald's ability to weave together diverse melodies while maintaining an engaging narrative throughout the performance.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

64 /100

Treeline

Higher than 79% of albums we've rated

The album showcases Fitzgerald's vocal prowess through inventive medleys and rhythmic variety, marking a strong late-career effort.

What we noticed

Each track maintains a consistent mid-tempo groove, with the bossa nova influences evident in the rhythmic arrangements and instrumentation.
Fitzgerald's vocal improvisation is prominent throughout, with her phrasing and timing adapting to the jazz standards and bossa nova elements.

Composition 25% of the score: 8/10
Craft 20% of the score: 7/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 8/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

velvet voice for evening relaxation
dynamic medleys for varied moods
wave-like pacing invites immersion
nostalgic warmth for intimate gatherings

Maybe skip if you

prefer fast-paced listening experiences
seek immediate, standalone tracks

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Late Career Highlight — A strong late-career release showcasing Fitzgerald's enduring talent and adaptability.
Themes: French Riviera elegance· jazz club ambiance
Career context: Released in 1982, Ella à Nice marks one of the final studio albums of Ella Fitzgerald’s illustrious career. At this point, she was celebrated as a jazz icon, reflecting decades of influence on the genre after her initial rise to fame in the 1930s and 1940s. This album captures her interpretations of classic songs, highlighting her ability to adapt to changing musical styles.
Stylistic neighbors: Billie Holiday· Sarah Vaughan· Louis Armstrong

New to Ella Fitzgerald? Find your way in →

Moments worth listening for

Where the writing does something specific.

Summertime

The slow build in intensity toward the final lines creates a poignant sense of yearning as the mood shifts from tranquil to deeply emotional.

This structural choice amplifies the song's themes of longing and nostalgia, showcasing Fitzgerald’s mastery in manipulating dynamics.

Tracklist

1 Night and Day Start here 6:58
2 The Many Faces of Cole Porter Medley: Get Out of Town / Easy to Love / You Do Something to Me 5:32
3 The Ballad Medley: Body and Soul / The Man I Love / Porgy 4:51
4 The Bossa Scene Medley: The Girl From Ipanema / Fly Me to the Moon / O Nosso Amor (Carnival Samba) / Cielito Lindo / Madalena / Agua de Beber (Water to Drink) 5:48
5 Summertime 2:40
6 They Can’t Take That Away From Me 4:27
7 Aspects of Duke Medley: Mood Indigo / Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me / It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) 7:23
8 Something 3:38
9 St. Louis Blues 3:09
10 Close to You 2:50
11 Put a Little Love in Your Heart 4:33