Miss Ella's Playhouse

Jazz and even vocal music can be a tough nut to crack for younger listeners, but Ella Fitzgerald's irrepressible enthusiasm and constant musicality make her a natural for children's listening. Accordingly, Universal packaged 11 of her lightest novelties into the brief Miss Ella's Playhouse, pitched to ages one to four and billed as "Kid, Parent & Earth Friendly." Leading off with the 1938 nursery rhyme hit "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," the disc makes a fair introduction for children to Ella specifically and great vocal jazz in general (regardless of the argument that children could appreciate her "serious" music without this set of dumbed-down material). The disc is divided between early Decca material of the nursery rhyme variety ("The Muffin Man," "Old Mother Hubbard") and peak-era Verve novelties like "Bean Bag Song," "Two Little Men and a Flying Saucer," and "The Hot Canary." Fans of the Great American Songbook may not be able to handle this type of material, but Ella Fitzgerald makes it all shine with a twinkle in her eyes, even when she's recording "Old McDonald" in 1966, nearing her half-century mark. by John Bush