Never Before Released Recordings by Ella Fitzgerald Coming This Summer

Press release
Source: DL Media

To celebrate what would have been Ella Fitzgerald's 90th birthday, Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Records are co-releasing Love Letters From Ella, a collection of never-before-released love songs. Recorded with some of her favorite collaborators, including Count Basie and his Orchestra, Joe Pass, and André Previn, Love Letters From Ella also pairs the singer with The London Symphony Orchestra for the first time. The CD will be available at Starbucks Company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada and traditional music retail beginning on July 31, 2007.

"As we've been sorting through our vaults we came across these masterful tracks Ella recorded that had surprisingly never been released before," said Glen Barros, President and CEO of Concord Music Group. "Producer Gregg Field did an amazing job enhancing these recordings and the end result is a truly remarkable record that we are very proud to be releasing with Starbucks."

"Ella Fitzgerald is one of the greatest vocalists in history and it gives us great pleasure to participate in this celebration of her life and artistry," said Ken Lombard, president Starbucks Entertainment. "We are proud to collaborate with Concord Music Group to offer these amazing, never-before-heard recordings from an American original both at Starbucks locations and traditional retail."

The magical 10-track CD, mixed in high-definition audio, includes Ella and Basie swinging "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," an intimate duet between Joe Pass and Fitzgerald on "The One I Love" and a playful performance of "Our Love is Here to Stay" with pianist André Previn. "Love Letters From Ella" also features the celebrated singer accompanied by The London Symphony Orchestra on a stirring rendition of "Cry Me a River." The London Symphony Orchestra recorded the accompaniment, arranged by 24-time GRAMMY® Award-nominee Jorge Calandrelli, at Abbey Road studios in London.

"Love Letters From Ella" also served as an inspiration for the upcoming PBS broadcast "WE LOVE ELLA!" a WNET "Great Performances" special. The show will honor Ella with performances by, among others, Natalie Cole, Quincy Jones, k.d. lang, Take Six, Wynonna, Lizz Wright, Monica Mancini and Nancy Wilson. "WE LOVE ELLA!" will be taped in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 29, the week of Ella's birthday, and is scheduled to air on June 6, 2007.

Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Music Group's past co-releases include Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company, which to date has sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide and won an unsurpassed eight GRAMMY® Awards including Album of the Year, and Sergio Mendes' Timeless, which won a Latin GRAMMY® Award for Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album of the Year and to date is on its way to selling a million copies worldwide. Like Genius Loves Company and Timeless, Love Letters From Ella will be co-released at Starbucks locations and traditional music channels simultaneously.

Track Listing:
1. "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" (w/ Count Basie and his Orchestra)
2. "Cry Me a River" (w/ London Symphony Orchestra)
3. "You Turned the Tables on Me"
4. "I've Got the World on a String" (w/ London Symphony Orchestra and Joe Pass)
5. "Witchcraft"
6. "My Old Flame" (w/ London Symphony Orchestra)
7. "The One I Love" (w/ Joe Pass)
8. "Take Love Easy" (w/ London Symphony Orchestra and Joe Pass)
9. "Our Love is Here to Stay" (w/ André Previn)
10. "Some Other Spring" (w/ Count Basie and his Orchestra)

About Concord Music Group
The Concord Music Group is one of the largest independent record and music publishing companies in the world and owner of a rich and, in many cases, historically significant catalog of recordings. Concord Music Group's legendary family of labels include Concord Records, Concord Jazz, Fantasy, Stax, Milestone, Riverside, Specialty, Telarc, Peak, Heads Up, Pablo, and Prestige, to name a few. They include titles from some of the most admired and enduring names in music, including Ray Brown, Rosemary Clooney, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Hayes, Little Richard, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Tito Puente, George Shearing and Mel Torme. The group's current roster of world-class artists includes: Karrin Allyson, George Benson, Chick Corea, Kurt Elling, John Fogerty, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sergio Mendes, Jane Monheit, Ozomatli, John Pizzarelli, Poncho Sanchez, Spyro Gyra, Curtis Stigers, Angie Stone and Tierney Sutton.

About Starbucks
Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people's lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time. To share in the experience, visit www.starbucks.com.