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Considered one of Ella's greatest recordings, she's backed on this 1960 release by pianist Paul Smith. Let No Man Write My Epitaph was a 1960 Hollywood movie featuring Fitzgerald. The album hits at a rare depth of emotional understanding and once again establishes Fitzgerald as one of the supreme interpreters of the Great American Songbook. Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging. — (via Label)

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Debunking the myth that Ella Fitzgerald couldn’t sing the blues, her soundtrack for the 1960 film “Let No Man Write My Epitaph” is a must-have collection of heartbreak songs and an exercise in vocal restraint. Featuring 13 songs, the album begins with “Black Coffee”, the first of several that capture the essence of heartbreak. The tracklist includes the Ray Noble song “I Hadn’t Anyone Till You” and the Erroll Garner classic “Misty.”

As Ella sings Ernie Burnett’s “My Melancholy Baby” lyric – “every cloud must have a silver lining” – she imbues it with a nostalgic poignancy. Her interpretation of “September Song”, with its beautifully held legato notes, shows off her excellent tone and range. It’s an album that isn’t just for the heartbroken. It’s for anyone who has loved or is trying to hold onto love. And there is hope; it’s not all bleak. The lyrics of the final tune, “Reach for Tomorrow” – “you may get hurt in a thousand ways / but give it one more try” – are there to remind us.

As the album journeys musically through the various stages of yearning, despair, heartbreak and dashed hopes, Ella showcases exceptional vocal restraint. To enjoy the album at its best, put on your headphones, prepare yourself a nice cup of tea and immerse yourself in its clarity. The remastered 180-gram vinyl has been transferred from the original analogue tapes, allowing you to experience Ella’s breath control and tonal choices.

For vocalists who aspire to sing the jazz canon or, in fact, any jazz lover, it’s an excellent addition to your collection. It’s not surprising that this is considered to be one of Ella’s most significant recordings. Its simplicity is its beauty. — (via Everything Jazz)

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This is a most unusual Ella Fitzgerald recording. Recorded around the time when she performed some of these songs for the film Let No Man Write My Epitaph, the masterful singer is heard in duets with pianist Paul Smith interpreting 13 songs (even "I Cried for You," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and "Who's Sorry Now?") at slow expressive tempos. Listeners who feel that Ella Fitzgerald was mostly a scat singer who had trouble giving the proper emotional intensity to lyrics will be surprised by this sensitive and often-haunting set. — (via AllMusic)

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Label: Verve Records 
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Repress, Stereo, 180g, Gatefold
Reissued: 2026 / Originally Released: 2003
Genre: Jazz, Pop
Style: Bop, Vocal

File under: Jazz - Vocals (Audiophile)
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