Dianne Reeves

Of course everybody loves Ella, but what is more important is that so many of the artists on this tribute record also respect Ella. Natalie Cole nails swing-era Ella and the bopster of the later years while Queen Latifah, k.d. lang and Linda Ronstadt go for the sophisticated Ella of the Verve era. Diana Krall, Lizz Wright, Gladys Knight and Etta James pay tribute to Ella just by being themselves. As a bonus, there are Rhapsody exclusive tracks, including two exhilarating live cuts that feature Ella herself (one performance, at a Stevie Wonder show, is an amazing portrait of when black pop was still connected to jazz).