Ella canta Jerome Kern



Acabou de chegar ao mercado nacional a reedição do disco em que Ella Fitzgerald se dedica a explorar o songbook de Jerome Kern.

Considerada uma das suas melhores obras, Ella surge aqui ao lado do talentoso Nelson Riddle, que assume os arranjos e a condução da orquestra.

Gravado em duas sessões, respectivamente em 5 e 6 de Janeiro de 1963, a qualidade do som é irrepreensível (mérito seja feito à edição da VERVE/Universal), tal como já sucedia nos seis songbooks que antecederam este, uma verdadeira aventura musical para a qual Ella foi atraída pelo produtor Norman Granz em 1956 e que a catapultaria para o estrelato.

Dizer, porém, que este disco, tal como os outros, é jazz é esticar um pouco o conceito de jazz já que estes discos foram na época pensados como música popular e de facto raramente há lugar a solos porque tudo está musicalmente pensado para colocar o ênfase na melodia dos temas e na sua exploração vocal.

Ainda assim não há dúvida de que são obras imprescindíveis e que mesmo qualquer músico de jazz português devia conhecer. É que para tocar os temas é fundamental conhecer as letras e os pequenos toques que Ella sabia dar-lhes. Já Dexter Gordon dizia que não consegui tocar um tema de que desconhecesse a letra...

Das músicas de Jerome Kern (1885-1945)chamaram-me especialmente a atenção os temas "I'll Be Hard To Handle" (com letra de Bernard Dougall e composto originalmente para o filme «Roberta», de 1935) e "You Couldn't Be Cuter" (com letra de Dorothy Fields)

I'll Be Hard To Handle

Now we'll say till something do us part
That old dad of mine ain't got a heart
Any girl who's out for pleasure
Thinks of marriage only at her leisure
As it is, they've got the horse behind the cart

When my pop said we must wed,
He kind of wowed me, still I'm read-y
But one thing must be clear
At this time

I'll be hard to handle
I promise you that
And if you complain
Here's one little Jane
Who'll leave you flat

I'll be hard to handle
What else can I be
I say with a shrug
I think you're a mug
To marry me

When you first threw me a gander
I was willing to philander
But I never thought I'd have to be a bride
Now you're gonna find tough sledding
I don't want no shotgun wedding
I was only along for the ride

I'll be hard to handle
I'm telling you plain
Just be a dear
and scram out of here
I'm gonna raise cain

I'll be hard to handle
My bridges are burned
This wedding's a gag
And you're in the bag
Where I'm concerned

I'll be hard to handle
When we've said, "I do"
See there's no hope
I just got a dope
When I took you

I'll be living my life in bed
But they always will be twin beds
And I warn you, you'll be living like a monk
Our affair is now a past one
So don't think you've pulled a fast one
Just remember, I think you're a punk!

I'll be hard to handle
I'm no ball and chain
I'll find some means
To call the Marines
I'm gonna raise cain

Gonna raise cain
I'm telling you plain
I'm gonna raise cain


You Couldn't Be Cuter

Your poise! Your pose!
That cute fantastic nose
You're mighty like a knock-out,
You're mighty like a rose.
I'm sold, I'm hooked!
The well known goose is cooked.
You got me little fella,
I'm sunk! I'm gone! I'm hooked!

You couldn't be cuter
Plus that
You couldn't be smarter
Plus that
Intelligent face
You have a disgraceful charm for me

You couldn't be keener
You look so fresh from the cleaner
You are the little grand slam
I'll take to my family

My ma will show you an album of me that'll bore you to tears
And you'll attract all the relatives we have dodged for years and years

And what will they tell me?
Exactly, what will they tell me
They'll say you couldn't be nicer
Couldn't be sweeter
Couldn't be better
Couldn't be smoother
Couldn't be cuter, baby, than you are

My ma will show you an album of me that'll bore you to tears
And you'll attract all the relatives we have dodged for years and years

And what will they tell me?
Exactly what they will tell me
They'll say you couldn't be nicer
Couldn't be sweeter
Couldn't be better
Couldn't be smoother
Couldn't be cuter, baby, than you are