Get Happy! cover

Get Happy!

Ella Fitzgerald · 1959

38 min · 14 tracks · jazz · soul · swing

A buoyant collection of standards showcasing Fitzgerald’s effervescent voice and playful, swinging arrangements.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • steady upbeat flow throughout
  • for joyful gatherings
  • playful tunes for sunny days
  • short tracks for quick listens
  • effervescent vocals lift spirits

Maybe skip if you want

  • prefer slow, introspective music
  • seek complex, lengthy compositions

Where this album fits

Themes
swinging optimism· jazz standards revival
Career context
By the time 'Get Happy!' was released in 1959, Ella Fitzgerald was already an established jazz icon, celebrated for her pioneering work in the genre. This album followed her critically acclaimed collaboration with Louis Armstrong on 'Ella and Louis' (1956), marking a continued evolution in her solo career as she embraced more upbeat and accessible material.
Stylistic neighbors
Billie Holiday· Sarah Vaughan· Louis Armstrong
Sounds like this from elsewhere
Come Fly with Me by Frank Sinatra — Shares a similar buoyant optimism and lush arrangements for vocal jazz standards.
After Midnight by Nat King Cole — Combines swinging rhythms with warm vocals, creating an equally inviting atmosphere.
Day by Day by Doris Day — Features upbeat interpretations of standards, embodying a playful and cheerful spirit akin to Fitzgerald's work.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Somebody Loves Me 2:38
  • 2 Cheerful Little Earful 2:09
  • 3 You Make Me Feel So Young 2:22
  • 4 Beat Me, Daddy, Eight to the Bar 2:30
  • 5 Like Young 3:03
  • 6 Cool Breeze 1:59
  • 7 Moonlight Becomes You 3:08
  • 8 Blue Skies 3:46
  • 9 You Turned the Tables on Me 2:33
  • 10 Gypsy in My Soul 2:42
  • 11 Goody‐Goody 2:31
  • 12 St. Louis Blues 4:02
  • 13 A‐Tisket, A‐Tasket 2:22
  • 14 Swingin’ Shepherd Blues 2:50

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata