ELLA FITZGERALD Vinyl Records and CDs

Thought by many to be the greatest female jazz singer ever, Ella Fitzgerald enjoyed unparalleled success via such standards as "Lady be Good" and "I Get a Kick Out of You." At home fronting both large orchestras and intimate string sections, Fitzgerald's greatest strength was her stirring ability to use her voice as a virtual musical instrument in much the same way Benny Goodman controlled his clarinet or Charlie Parker played his saxophone -- notes were hit so quickly and elegantly that their accuracy boggled mind and ear alike. In a career that spanned seven decades, Ella Fitzgerald was the portrait of vocal mastery and jazz improvisation.