Pic of the Week: A Tribute to Ella Edition

Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald, New York, N.Y., ca. Nov. 1946. Photograph by William P Gottlieb.

Tickets are still available for  a concert that promises to be one of the highlights of the season.  This Saturday the U. S. Army Band  ”Pershing’s Own,” with the help of vocalist Christal Rheames , continues its Concerts from The Collection series with a tribute to the legendary Ella Fitzgerald.   The event takes place at the historic Atlas Performing Arts Center along the vibrant H Street corridor in Northeast DC.

The Army Band will be performing arrangements selected from the Music Division’s Ella Fitzgerald Collection. These arrangements are by none other than Nelson Riddle, the man behind so many classic records by Ella as well as Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole and other iconic singers.

Senior Acquisitions Specialist Loras Schissel selected the arrangements, and has this to say about the work:  ”Musically, they are the closest thing to perfection I know of.  They are like a Greek statue in their classical design.  You really couldn’t take one note away from them–it would fall apart.  Simple, Simple Simple!  A joy to study, to admire, but add Ella’s incomporable voice and style and I always get just a little glimpse of what heaven will be like! ( A stretch–but not muscially.  Just me making it to heaven).” See more photos  of our celestial chanteuse in the William P. Gottlieb Collection.

 

This Friday! Master Class with Paolo Pandolfo

Considered one of the world’s finest gambists, Paolo Pandolfo offers a free master class in the Library’s Coolidge Auditorium, working with three exceptional young students: Amy Domingues (known in indie-rock circles for her band Garland of Hours), Niccolo Seligman, and Lucine Musaelian. This 90-minute event is open to the public, no tickets required. Seating is …

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Sheet Music of the Week: Great Mustaches Edition

The annual World Beard and Mustache Championship is several months away.  In the Muse, while personally lacking in competition-level hirsuteness, could not wait that long to share this specimen with its readership. The Music Division’s Civil War Sheet Music Collection contains a number of pieces composed or arranged by C. L. Peticolas, including the “Appomatox …

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Pic of the Week: Inspector General Edition

The following is a guest post by Daniel  Walshaw, Music Division. The Music Division is home  to the Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Collection. Danny Kaye turned ninety-nine yesterday. While normally that would not warrant more than the usual nod to a performing genius, something about the rhythmical nature of the number “ninety-nine” makes me think of …

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Sheet Music of the Week: Stop the Presses Edition

We live in an era of internet memes that instantly respond to current events.  The music world has had its share of them, and MTV recently published a list of 2011′s Five Best Music Memes. The music video pioneers join the legions who have dismissed one of the year’s most infamous musical newsmakers, Rebecca Black, but …

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Pic of the Week: Happy Birthday Alvin Ailey Edition

The following is a guest post by Denise Gallo, Head of Acquisitions and Processing. Many people may be under the misconception that the Music Division only collects music. Despite our division’s title, the name of our reading room, Performing Arts, actually describes our holdings far more accurately. So, in addition to music, we also boast …

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