There are certain albums that everyone needs to own in order to truly appreciate music. If it’s vocals that is your fancy, there is simply nothing better on this side of heaven than the collection of duets between Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Both were in the midst of career apotheoses, as The First Lady of Swing was putting out a catalogue of songbooks, and Armstrong had some wonderful playing and singing with Oscar Peterson. This 4 disc set includes both the small group combos that made up the Ella & Louis albums and the bigger production of Porgy and Bess, as well as the Decca singles and some concert recordings, making this a complete and fulfilling banquet of love.
The 8 Decca singles team Armstrong’s voice and horn with Fitzgerald in front of orchestras of Bobb Haggard, Dave Barbour and Sy Oliver which included Billy Butterfiel/tp and Cozy Cole/dr. The pair have fun with “The Frim Fram Sauce” and a gas with “Oops” while Fitzgerald lilts to Satchmo’s horn in an early “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”
The classic Verve sessions with Oscar Peterson’s band of Herb Ellis/g, Ray Brown/b and Buddy Rich-Louis Bellson/dr are as cozy as a pair of fuzzy slippers. They banter like long-lost army buddies on “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Makin’ Whoopee” and “Cheek to Cheek.” Armstrong’s horn is sunset warm on his intro to “Tenderly” while his voice is the perfect mix of conversation and swing. Ella glows in the dark on “The Nearness of You” and “Ill Wind” while “Autumn in New York” is simply definitive.
At the time (1957) the full production of Porgy and Bess with Russell Garcia’s orchestra was considered a bit overblown, but in retrospect it works amazingly well. Armstrong is absolutely convincing on “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” and Ella sparkles like a full moon as she introduces “I Wants to Stay Here.”
Extra bonus material includes a handful of the pair on Bing Crosby’s CBS Broadcast and a gig at the Hollywood Bowl in 1956. Ella pair do a hip read of WC Handy’s “The Memphis Blues” on the former and have a blast on a swinging “Undecided” with Armstrong’s band of Trummy Young/tb, Edmond Hall/cl, Billy Kyle/p, Dale Jones/b and Barrett Deems/dr on the latter. The remaining “extra” takes are there for when you’ve listened to the original takes 500 times and finally ask “Isn’t there anything else?” Even a drop of water will satisfy a parched throat.
If you haven’t heard these two artists in tandem, you are missing out something that is just short of reading the Bible for the first time. Revelatory and life changing!
Verve Records