5 Facts About Ella Fitzgerald’s Cole Porter Songbook Recording
- The entire album was recorded in just three days at Capitol’s Hollywood studio.
- Ella Fitzgerald sang live with a full orchestra, with no overdubs or retakes.
- The sessions were produced by Norman Granz, who insisted on recording the songs in chronological order of Porter’s career.
- Fitzgerald had to learn many of the 32 songs on the spot, as she was unfamiliar with some of Porter’s lesser-known works.
- The album became a critical and commercial success, setting the standard for how songbook collections are made.