Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things

Year: 2019

Actors: Tony Bennett, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Smokey Robinson

Duration: 89 min

A profile of Ella Fitzgerald is presented largely in chronological order, she regarded as one of if not the preeminent jazz singer of her time. That career was somewhat by accident as she entered an amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem at age sixteen expecting to dance, but due to circumstances instead decided to sing, neither in which she had any formal training. Her career was also despite the odds against her: coming from a poor background without much emotional support, not having that formal training, and not having the "look" in not being traditionally beautiful but rather matronly in appearance, including being what would be considered overweight. Her success in that career is arguably due to her natural talent, not only to sing but inherently to understand music solely by sound, and her humanity as a person. The three primary phases of her singing career are shown: her early career with Chick Webb's band largely singing novelty songs; her mid-career of singing be-bop, where she developed vocal scat; and her later career under the guidance of Norman Granz singing the American songbooks, he creating the Verve record label specifically for her to showcase these new renditions of American standards. The presentation of her personal life includes the one and only marriage to band-mate Ray Brown, it which dissolved arguably due to work pressures, and the relationship with her only offspring, adoptive Ray Brown Jr., biologically her half-sister's son. The prejudice she faced, both in her personal and professional lives, is also presented, that prejudice despite her fame.—Huggo

Genre: Biography   Documentary   Music