Ella my dear

CD Ella my dear Anne Ducros

Anne Ducros evidently goes back to her roots with Ella… My Dear, a tribute to the great Ella Fitzgerald, a powerful and inspiring influence since the beginning of her career to the extent that the critics have nicknamed her "the white Ella".
With this 6th record, international vocal jazz French diva Anne Ducros revisits the most representative and captivating repertoire of the American diva who brought vocal jazz to a world-wide audience and who evidently influenced the development of Anne's artistic and vocal talent.
This project originates from the unique collaboration with the harmony orchestra "Coups de Vents Wind Orchestra" conducted by Philippe Langlet, an orchestra from Nord/Pas de Calais, Anne's native region.
For Ella… My Dear Anne Ducros is magnificently accompanied by the 45 musicians of "Coups de Vents Wind Orchestra", and her prestigious US rhythm section composed of Essiet Okon Essiet on acoustic bass and Bruce Cox on drums, as well as French-Sicilian virtuoso Jean-Pierre Como (co-founder of Sixun) on piano.
The whole repertoire is majestically arranged by Ivan Jullien, one of the most eminent figures of the international scene.
A Master in his own right, he has written around more than 10000 arrangements for artists such as Michel Legrand, Claude Nougaro, Henri Salvador, Charles Aznavour, Sacha Distel, Count Basie Orchestra, Elton John, collaborated with Quincy Jones, and contributed to soundtracks of Academy-Award-winning movies like Claude Lelouch's "Un Homme et une Femme".
Ella… My Dear features some of the most exquisite standards of vocal jazz, interpreted by Anne Ducros with sincerity and the emotional involvement that defines her, backed up by the strength and originality of this wind orchestra's sound: Bewitched, Dindi, Laura, Save Your Love For Me, It Don't Mean A Thing, Stardust, Come Rain Come Shine, Lullaby Of Birdland (a duet with French singer Dany Brillant).
Also worth mentioning are the 2 original medleys, perfectly fitting Anne's range.
The first one is a tribute to George Gershwin.
The second one, a special tribute to Ella as the initiator of "scat", gives Anne the opportunity to explore her improvisation skills with great artistic demand.
The magic of Anne's timbre, her swing, imagination and perfect phrasing take again by surprise experimented as well as unexperimented ears.
An original and glamorous project reconnecting jazz tradition to people at large, in the spirit of Ella Fitzgerald's elegance.