Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book is a box set by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald that contains songs by George and Ira Gershwin with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. It was produced by Norman Granz, Fitzgerald's manager and the founder of Verve Records. Fifty-nine songs were recorded in the span of eight months in 1959. It is one of the eight album releases comprising what is possibly Fitzgerald's greatest musical legacy: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Complete American Songbook, in which she recorded, with top arrangers and musicians, a comprehensive collection of both well-known and obscure songs from the Great American Songbook canon, written by the likes of Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, and Johnny Mercer.

Fitzgerald's recording of "But Not for Me" won the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Female.

Ira Gershwin subsequently said that "I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them". Gershwin helped Fitzgerald, Granz and Riddle with the selection of songs. The songs were written by Ira and his brother George between 1924 and 1937. Ira also revised some of his lyrics for the album. Granz memorably suggested that Fitzgerald sing "Oh, Lady Be Good!" as a slow ballad rather than the fast tempo version which had become renowned as a showcase for her scat singing.

In 2000 it was voted number 473 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

The French painter Bernard Buffet created five paintings that were used as artworks for the five individual LPs that made the original album release. The liner notes were written by Laurence D. Stewart. The album was released in mono and stereo. The mono album was priced at $25 (equivalent to $276 in 2025) and the stereo at $30 (equivalent to $331 in 2025). A deluxe edition was also available priced at $100 (equivalent to $1,104 in 2025). The deluxe set was packaged in a walnut box, with the five Buffet paintings issued as detachable lithographs. Stewart's liner notes were included as a separate hardback book, The Gershwins: Words Upon Music.

Personnel

• Ella Fitzgerald – vocals
• Nelson Riddle – arranger, conductor

Trumpet – Pete Candoli, Don Fagerquist, Conrad Gozzo, Mannie Klein, Cappy Lewis, Vito Mangano, Dale McMickle, Shorty Sherock, Joe Triscari

• Trombone – Milt Bernhart, Richard Noel, Tommy Pederson, James Priddy, Juan Tizol
• Bass trombone – Karl DeKarske, George Roberts
• French horn – James Decker, Vincent DeRosa
• Tuba – Red Callender or Ed Gilbert
• Alto saxophone – Benny Carter, Ronnie Lang, Ted Nash
• Tenor saxophone – Plas Johnson
• Bass saxophone – Chuck Gentry

Woodwinds – Gene Cipriano, Buddy Collette, Justin Gordon, Jewell Grant, William Green, Jules Jacob, Harry Klee, Joe Koch, Wilbur Schwartz, Buck Skalak, Champ Webb

• Piano – Lou Levy or Paul Smith
• Guitar – Herb Ellis or Barney Kessel
• Double bass – Joe Comfort or Ralph Peña
• Drums – Alvin Stoller, Mel Lewis or Bill Richmond
• Percussion – Larry Bunker or Frank Flynn
• String section

Violin– Israel Baker, Henry Hill, Harold Dicterow, Erno Neufield, Victor Arno, Victor Bay, Alex Beller, Joseph Livoti, Jacques Gasselin, Walter Edelstein, James Getzoff, Eudice Shapiro, Ben Gill, Murrary Kellner, Nat Ross, Felix Slatkin, Marshall Sosson, Misha Russell, Paul Shure, Dan Lube, Gerald Vinci

Viola – Alvin Dinken, Lou Kievman, David Sterkin, Stanley Harris, Paul Robyn, Barbara Simons

Cello – Elizabeth Greenschpoon, James Arkatov, Armand Kaproff, George Neikrug, Dave Filerman, Kurt Reher

Harp – Katharine Julyie