Ella FitzgeraldJazz Singer

Ella’s Story

• Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, VA on April 25, 1917. • After the loss of her mother, stepfather, and sister all within a short

period of time, Ella went through a rough patch of life where she was increasingly unhappy and in constant trouble with the law.• Ella got her start when participating in an amateur singing

competition at the Apollo theatre in Harlem where she quickly rose to fame and became the queen of song over a fifty-year-long period.• On June 15, 1996, Ella Fitzgerald died of complications due to

Diabetes.

Ella Jane Fitzgerald

Misty – Erroll Garner, performed by Ella Fitzgerald• Misty is a jazz standard composed by Erroll Garner in 1954.• The song has been covered by many jazz artists such as Frank Sinatra,

Johnny Mathis, Little Willie Littlefield, Larry Coryell, Dave Coz, (the) Clay Aiken, and of course, Ella Fitzgerald. • It was inducted into the Grammy hall of fame in 1991, and Johnny

Mathis’ version was inducted in 2002. • The Johnny Mathis version is played during the end ballroom dancing

scene of the academy-award-winning film, Silver Linings Playbook.

The Form of Misty

• Misty consists of three verses, and a bridge between the second and third verse. • The three verses consist of the same tune, sung at a very calm and

slow pace, complimented by a soothing mezzo-piano dynamic kept consistently throughout the entire piece. • The bridge is the highlight of the piece, finally reaching a forte

marking, followed by a repeat of the very relaxing dynamic of the third verse.

Resources

• http://www.ellafitzgerald.com/about/index.html• http://youtu.be/rPOlakkBlj8 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misty_(song) • http://www.biography.com/people/ella-fitzgerald-9296210