Ella in Berlin is a 1960 live album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. This album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance."

One of Fitzgerald's most acclaimed live performances, at this concert in Berlin, Fitzgerald improvised lyrics for "Mack the Knife" after forgetting the original lyrics. In recognition of this, she received the Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance (Single) and the Best Vocal Performance, Female (Album) at the 3rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Track listing

Original Verve release from 1960 Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife on MG VS-64041; featuring 9 tracks.

  1. Setting up the Stage – 0:20
  2. "That Old Black Magic" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) – 3:51
  3. "Our Love Is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 3:19
  4. "Gone with the Wind" (Herb Magidson, Allie Wrubel) – 2:25
  5. "Misty" (Johnny Burke, Erroll Garner) – 2:38
  6. Applause and Fanfare Interlude – 0:19
  7. "The Lady Is a Tramp" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 2:40
  8. Fanfare and Announcement – 0:28
  9. "The Man I Love" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 3:42
  10. "Love for Sale" <small>- Recorded in August 1956</small> (Cole Porter) – 2:57
  11. "Just One of Those Things" <small>- Recorded in August 1956</small> (Porter) – 3:53
  12. "Summertime" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) – 3:02
  13. "Too Darn Hot" (Porter) – 3:17
  14. Applause and Fanfare Interlude – 0:24
  15. "Lorelei" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 3:27
  16. "Mack the Knife" (Marc Blitzstein, Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill) – 4:39
  17. Fanfare and Announcement – 0:23
  18. "How High the Moon" (Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis) – 6:58
  19. Applause and Closing Fanfare – 1:06

Personnel

  • Ella Fitzgerald – vocals
  • Paul Smith – piano
  • Jim Hall – guitar
  • Wilfred Middlebrooks – double bass
  • Gus Johnson – drums

Charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife

! scope="col"| Chart (2026)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| French Jazz Albums (SNEP)

| 26

|}

Footnotes

  • 'Remembering Ella' by Phillip D. Atteberry features discussion about this album.