Ella Sings - Hive Collaborative

The full title is "The First Lady of Song: Ella Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook" but that is a bit cumbersome for a blog title. However, the show itself is far from cumbersome. It is about an hour long and, to quote a different songwriter of that time, it is delightful, delicious, and delovely. One of the many things I appreciate about this series at The Hive is how they adopt their space to fit perfectly to the event. In this case, it is in the round...or the square. Audience is on all four sides, while inside the space are six...SIX instruments, a few stools, two benches, and a classic microphone. Hanging down are a variety of lights with visible filaments, creating such a unique and interesting space.

So, what is this show? It is exactly what the title says...though in this case Ella is Deidre Cochran. Wearing a simple black dress, Cochran brings the spirit of Ella Fitzgerald to stage. Her voice has such a similar sound to Fitzgeralds but from what I can tell it is not an impersonation of Ella Fitzgerald. Cochran is using Ella Fitzgerald's recordings of the Irving Berlin songbook as a stepping off point to explore these songs herself. Backed by Kyle Baker on guitar (four guitars, a bass, and a banjo I believe), these arrangements are a joy to listen to. They cut to the core of the song. Simple and beautiful melody, paired perfectly with smart lyrics that are clever but not in a Cole Porter way. Berlin had his own style that drew from his Russian and Jewish background while also making it a truly American sound. Baker is magnificent in how he phrases his solos, while fully supporting, and playing with Cochran. At the same time, Cochran knows her way around these songs, yet you can see that she is also trying new things, exploring a vocal line, or finding a slightly different way to sing a word. All the while, Cochran is keeping the spirit of Ella Fitzgerald in the room, using the full range of her voice from the luscious low notes to the upper register, and some belting. Music is hard to write about, so this is a show that needs to be experienced in person. Lucky for you, there are a number of opportunities left to see these two incredible performers do what they do so well.