Ella and Louis [Import] [Limited Edition]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Japanese Limited Edition Gold CD in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Tracks:

Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Love Is Here To Stay
The Nearness Of You
Stars Fell On Alabama
Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Autumn In New York
Summertime
Tenderly
Stompin' At The Savoy
Under A Blanket Of Blue
I Wants To Stay Here
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)

Amazon.com essential recording

Ella Fitzgerald's voice was satin to Louis Armstrong's sandpaper, but when you put them together on a single song, their chemistry was unimpeachable. This disc selects highlights from the three albums they made together at Verve (including their Porgy and Bess), and adds a spiffy live track from the Hollywood Bowl. Though they don't harmonize much (Armstrong's voice wasn't built for harmony), Ella's dignified swing and flashes of teasing wit play off Satchmo's gritty, good-humored roar symbiotically. The material is mostly lightweight Tin Pan Alley stuff (lots of Gershwin, plus the likes of "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"), and they fly it like a kite. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Bestof Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.......2007-01-11

AWESOME!!!! Bought this CD for my husband as Christmas gift. We were both astounded at how wonderful this duo, the music and the sound quality are. Recorded in the late 1950's, this music is still incredible, even after all these years! The songs are timeless, the execution by Armstrong and Fitzerald IMPECCABLE!

Highly recommend this one .... you won't be disappointed!

Ella and Louis sing of life as we know it--and wow, how I appreciate the ride!!!.......2006-10-26

On this CD Ella and Louis Armstrong join forces to make an album that is pure magic. They've been lovingly teased as satin (Ella) and sandpaper (Louis, because of his gravelly voice); but no duo compares to them when they sing together. Louis and Ella obviously enjoyed making this recording; their voices are in excellent form and impart a certain sense of genuine happiness that is hard to find. Ella and Louis have voices that are rich, vibrant and full of electricity! This CD proves it.

The CD starts off with the charming and playful "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." The album then switches gears and goes into the more soulful love ballad entitled "Our Love Is Here To Stay." Sublime! Other great songs on this CD include "Stars Fell On Alabama;" "The Nearness Of You;" "Stompin' At The Savoy;" and "Tenderly." Louis performs great trumpet solos on songs including "Tenderly" and "Summertime" that make your heart melt. In fact, every song is special on this CD; I also admire their rendition of "Under A Blanket Of Blue."

The musical arrangements are very well done. These tracks feature several great opportunities for us to enjoy Armstrong's trumpet solos.

The liner notes impress me, too. There is an adaptation of an essay by William Ruhlmann who wrote the liner notes for The Complete Ella And Louis On Verve. There are beautiful photos of Ella and Louis; and you get the song credits, too. A nice plus!

Overall, the chemistry between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong makes for an experience that is truly in its own league. They enjoy their work and it shows. You will appreciate their energy and powerful renditions of these wonderful songs. I highly recommend this CD for fans of classic pop vocals and fans of both Ella and Louis. This is also a great budget priced CD for people who want to know if they will like this style of music.

Moreover, if you do like this CD I suggest you listen to the CD box set entitled The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong and another CD entitled Ella and Louis again. You can also try solo CDs by both Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong; they produced great music individually as well. You truly can't go wrong with this classic CD; and I hope this CD brings you the same joy and thrills that Ella and Louis communicate when they perform these magnificent songs. ENJOY!!!

A Must-Have (in one form or another)--but think twice........2006-10-14

With all due respect to some other reviewers, this is not "an album" made by Ella and Louis: it's a sampler comprising three Ella and Louis albums. Normally I would not even consider, say, a Sinatra anthology mixing three masterworks like "Only the Lonely," "In the Wee Small Hours," and "Come Fly with Me": each is a unique and integrally whole project. But I have the Ella and Louis LPs, so I picked up this compressed anthology to take some pressure off of the vinyl.

Like most "best-of" collections, it suffers a bit from uneven textures (the lush orchestration of "Summertime" seems like an intrusion on the intimate rapport established in the preceding numbers) and audio quality (variances in mics, mixing and engineering can be hard to disguise). So unless some of the tunes on this anthology seem absolutely essential, go with "Ella and Louis," if only for its more coherent, unified feel--like two supreme musical storytellers having an irresistable conversation in real time and in real space. (If you have a piano, imagine inviting both into your living room for the evening.)

Louis' meetings with Ella were his most successful collaborations with another major star (the Ellington get-together doesn't compare), and unfortunately I know of no extended, full-fidelity vinyl sessions featuring Pops with Bing Crosby. What's most noteworthy about their pairing is Ella's restrained deference to Louis, and Louis' passionate, animated trumpet solos (it was not unusual for him to "coast" at this stage of his career). The duets are at times a bit sloppy, or "under-rehearsed," especially following the trumpet solo, but the absence of polish is in this case all for the better. This is a recording about communication of the most "natural" sort, not about perfection or disciplined performance. To hear Pops singing unison, then in 3rds, with Ella on an up-tempo "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" defies description. Simply his presence is enough to showcase Ella's grace and set us up for the sound of surprise when it's Louis' turn to sing solo.

Recently I heard a Wynton Marsalis tribute to Louis at the Lincoln Center. As fluent and dazzling as Wynton was, his performance made me appreciate Louis all the more. Perhaps Leonard Bernstein hit it on the head in his musical essay about jazz, "What Is Jazz?" Alternating between Louis' vocals and trumpet playing, he pointed out the similarity between the two, noting the hint of "pain" intermingled with the joy, or the brilliance of the trumpet sound, as evidence of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, which might be said to be the essence of the blues itself. Fortunately, that sound is captured in virtually every note that Louis sings and plays on this recording.

No,they cant take that away from me..........2006-07-14

Sixty odd years ago,over AFN,Europe,whistles and fade outs and sometimes only very feeble sounds of the devine trumpet or,the girlish , heavenly voice kept us hoping,kept us alive in the red quagmire.The thin ray of sunshine in the deep,dark well of the *paradise.No,they really cant take all this away.Yes , we will never meet again.Soon I would not be
able to remember the tunes I loved,but,thanks Heaven,we had the chance to hear them for so many years after THEY(and many others) left us.We may get sentimental,we may feel sorry for us,but we must be happy at heart,because thanks to vynils and CDs,they are still with us and the good old jazz can still be heard and enjoyed...
Mirko J. Stojnic oldtimer682005@yahoo.ca

'Your Daddy's rich and your Momma fine looking'.......2006-05-24

The two greats the one- and- only Satchmo and the one-and-only Ella get together and make music which makes the listener happy to be alive. As another Amazon reviewer has written one feels that they simply so much enjoy making music that their attitude is infectious. The way each one of them in his/her own way play with the lyric and the music is just a delight. They've got it , in the deepest way. And they give it to their listeners with such incredible swinging lilting grace( Ella) and raspy, gravelly, charm( Satchmo) that one just loves to listen.
I do not agree with the editorial review which says that this music is 'Tin-Pan alley frill" You have some of the great popular songs here including one which is arguably the greatest, " Summertime".
These are the songs:

1. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
2. Love Is Here To Stay
3. The Nearness Of You
4. Stars Fell On Alabama
5. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
7. Autumn In New York
8. Summertime
9. Tenderly
10. Stompin' At The Savoy
11. Under A Blanket Of Blue
12. I Wants To Stay Here
13. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
14. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
15. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart

Enjoy.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely peerless
once-in-a-lifetime greatness
We love this album
Simply great
Porgy and Bess

Porgy & Bess
Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Porgy and Bess
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Ella & Louis Again (Dig)

ASIN: B0000046Z5
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Overture
Summertime
I Wants To Stay Here
My Man's Gone Now
I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
Buzzard Song
Bess, You Is My Woman Now
It Ain't Necessarily So
What You Want Wild Bess?
A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
Oh, Doctor Jesus
Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording

Average customer rating:

Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong
The greatest
A work of art...
check out the thrift stores for mono vinyl
Ella and Louis create music that is thoughtful, strong and satisfying!

Ella and Louis
Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ella & Louis Again (Dig)
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ASIN: B00004RD5E
Release Date: 2000-03-07

Tracks:

Can't We Be Friends?
Isn't This A Lovely Day?
Moonlight In Vermont
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Under A Blanket Of Blue
Tenderly
A Foggy Day
Stars Fell On Alabama
Cheek To Cheek
The Nearness Of You
April In Paris

Amazon.com

What we have here is the mating of honey and molasses. Or is it the sound of melted butter over gravel? Never mind--sweeter, more joyous music has never been recorded (although the follow-up, Ella and Louis Again, may be even better). You can't listen to these two without smiling. It's such an inevitable pairing that you wonder what titanic forces of nature could have kept Ella and Satchmo apart until they made this record together in 1957, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson trio and Buddy Rich on drums. The songs are standards--extraordinary standards, of course, like "Moonlight in Vermont" and "A Foggy Day"--but nirvana is reached on "Cheek to Cheek." Heaven. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong.......2007-02-24

Marvelous! The two artists together exceeded my expectations. I strongly recommend the CD to anyone who loves music!

The greatest .......2007-01-22

Mr. Jazz and the greatest feminine jazz vocalist sing together. Satchmo plays and Ella lilts , and there is such joy and fun in their singing. Both of them gravelly Louie and pure chrystalline Ella give the lyrics of these great songs their full due. One feels them both enjoying what they are doing, and inspired by each other's presence. Perhaps there is even a certain edge of rivalry at some point, the greatest meeting the greatest to see who the greatest really is.
What there is though and Louis also does on his great trumpet solos is the best popular music there is.

A work of art..........2006-12-08

This is pure perfection. This is what music is supposed to sound like. It is a spectacular work of art and mere words can't do it justice. I have listened to this album over and over again and never tire of it. Lady Ella and Pops are legends and this legendary meeting between the two not only lived up to everyone's expectations, it actually exceeded them! This is not music that 'grows' on you. This is music that from the moment you hear it you're hooked! It is not just about the two superstars and their unique albeit completely different voices which together create magic. It is also about the legends behind them as well -Oscar Peterson's trio and Buddy Rich on the drums. Not too shabby to say the least. I'm mean seriously folks, how can this be anything but great?

check out the thrift stores for mono vinyl.......2006-11-09

this album has been one of my all time favourites for more than two decades. i have several LP pressings of Ella And Louis. a couple of weeks ago i bought the CD for those moments when i'm too lazy to flip records. yesterday i played the CD for the first time. oh boy. yes, i did tap my feet. and yes, i did grin. but i missed that feeling of intimacy, of that just-feeling-good-feeling that usually sets in the very latest after 2 minutes into this record on vinyl. to make sure i was not hallucinating, i put the LP on the turntable. oh my... the LP sounds so much more immediate and intimate at the same time, i actually get a feeling of being there with them in the studio whereas with the CD (as well as the CD is remastered!) i feel like listening to the two performing. it's hard to put in words how the two formats differ. but the differences are not subtle. and i'm not talking audiophile BS! (i'm waaay past the format war; i listen to CDs as well as to LPs. both have their merits. usually the differences are much less prominent than with this record.)

so here's my advice to all of you still in possession of a turntable: by all means try to find this LP in garage sales, thrift stores, internet auctions and what not. you'll be rewarded with cracks, pops etc, but you won't notice them. no need to buy the pricey audiophile LP-reissues! you will notice, that ella's voice has more nuances and her phrasing is more precise on the LP compared with the CD. could it be that some music is just not made to be digitized?! (just as some cover art is not made to be shrunk to jewel case size - looking at the hilarious picture of ella and louis on a 12" LP cover and on a CD booklet is like day and night!)

i'm sure you can find the LP of Ella And Louis somewhere in your neighborhood or in your nearest thrift store for very little $. if you don't have a record player (anymore) ... hmm ... this LP alone would be more than a good reason to buy one!

last, not least: Ella And Louis was recorded in mono. i have several verve stereo LPs and one original mono pressing. if you find a mono version of the LP, grab it, hold it and don't never let it out of your hands. it SMOKES all (electronically enhanced?) stereo issues. the mono version is so much more open, transparent, direct, intense and natural. i hesitate to use the word, but the early red/yellow label verve mono LP is more organic than all later (re)issues. definitely worth looking for!

it seems to me that the newer the record format, the less intimate this recording becomes. the early mono pressings are better than the stereo LPs, and vintage stereo LPs imho are better than all audiophile LP reissues. (remember, stereo was invented, but not yet commercialized in 1956!) there are several CD masterings, and i also have a SACD of Ella and Louis. the two digital formats are ok, but sound somewhat veiled and slightly metallic compared to the LPs. (and when will Ella And Louis be reissued on DVD-A with 24 bit/192khz? this might be a worthy contender of the LP.)

to sum it up: try to find Ella And Louis on vinyl even if you have the CD. i'mm pretty sure, the rave reviews here on amazon of this one of a kind-recording would even be more enthousiastic, had the reviewers heard the LP... ;-)

Ella and Louis create music that is thoughtful, strong and satisfying!.......2006-10-28

Ella and Louis worked hard to produce this album in 1956; and today many fans of this music still marvel at its beauty. Their voices rich, vibrant and energetic as ever, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were a duo that remains incomparable. This CD proves it.

Although the CD starts off with the playful "Can't We Be Friends," most of the music on this CD has a slow, relaxed and pensive feel to it that is remarkable. I love their romantic renditions of "Moonlight In Vermont;" "They Can't Take That Away From Me;" "Tenderly" and "Cheek To Cheek." Moreover, they perform very gracefully on "Stars Fell On Alabama." The CD ends with the classic ballad "April In Paris."

I initially thought the CD was too slow and I was not sure if I liked the album. However, the second time I listened I felt more comfortable with the pace. After I listened to the CD the third time I finally understood the importance of the "slower" feel to the songs. The songs become much more romantic, pensive and substantial at this pace.

The liner notes include the original notes from the LP release of this album; and there are nice photos of Ella and Louis on the reverse of the liner notes. In fact, the cover photo of Ella and Louis is my favorite of them together. Ella and Louis appear warm, friendly and approachable--and that's precisely the way the entire album comes across once you get into its "slower" pace. Very clever!

Overall, this is an excellent CD for fans of classic vocals, jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and duets. It is affordable so it is also a great way to find out if you'll like this kind of music. The quality of the sound is excellent.

Highly recommended! ENJOY!!!

The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

Average customer rating:

I'll say it too...truely great in every way!
2 of the best
Dynamic Duo
Amazing Chemistry Makes These Tracks Shine
I like the two together

The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books
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ASIN: B0000047EI
Release Date: 1997-06-16

Tracks:

Can't We Be Friends?
Isn't This A Lovely Day?
Moonlight In Vermont
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Under A Blanket Of Blue
Tenderly
A Foggy Day
Stars Fell On Alabama
Cheek To Cheek
The Nearness Of You
April In Paris
Don't Be That Way
Makin' Whoopie
They All Laughed
Comes Love
Autumn In New York

Tracks:

Let's Do It
Stompin' At The Savoy
I Won't Dance
Gee, Baby, Ain't It Good For You?
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
These Foolish Things
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Willow Weep For Me
I'm Puttin' All My Eggs in One Basket
A Fine Romance
III Wind (You're Blowin' Me No Good)
Love Is Here To Stay
I Get A Kick Out Of You
Learnin' The Blues
You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)
Undecided

Tracks:

Overture
Summertime
I Wants To Stay Here
My Man's Gone Now
I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
The Buzzard Song
Bess, You Is My Woman Now
It Ain't Necessarily So
What You Want Wid Bess
A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
Oh, Doctor Jesus
Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, ...
There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
Oh, Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?
Oh, Lawd, I'm On My Way

Customer Reviews:

I'll say it too...truely great in every way!.......2007-03-11

This album is so musically beautiful it makes me cry. It's pure, unadulterated, unpretentious, mature, and always totally fresh. Two of the greatest musical artists of the 20th century, Ella and Pops, are here together supported by what represents the very best instrumetalists on the planet at the time like Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Buddy Rich to name a few. You can't do better than that. It was just such a rare outing. You can hear how relaxed everyone is and you can feel the joy of the performances. Louis is especially in the best form for this time period aka 1956. Everything is here, the best tunes, the finest swing performances, thoughtful arrangements, and a sensitive clean production. As soon as you hear the first few bars of the first tune "Why Can't We Be Friends" with Ella's pure and beautifully sweet crooning, you'll know you're in for something special. A privilege to have such a record of true greatness.

2 of the best.......2007-01-30

What a pleasure to sit down and listen to such great artists, they certainly do not come like that today. Great sound to, it's like one is there, job well done by the sound people. I saw Louis Armstrong in Holland in 1959 and it will always be for me the best jazz concert I have ever been to. I recommend this CD to anyone.
Aalf J Molenberg.

Dynamic Duo.......2006-12-14

This is such a a wonderful collection, I had a double cd that had a huge collection of duets by Louis and Ella, it disappeared and I spent a long time trying to find another one that had all my favorite songs on it. There isn't anything missing from this collection, if they sang it together, its here! I love listening to the 2 most talented entertainers of their time, Highly reccommended!

Amazing Chemistry Makes These Tracks Shine .......2005-12-14

I am quite sure that there are few duets of any musical genre, regardless of the artists, that can easily match the magical chemistry that these two performers exhibit on these wonderful tracks. I could be wrong, but I believe that much of the magic is due to the total musicality of Louis Armstrong, a giant personality who could probably duet with anyone and have the results cook. There is, I believe, an equal chemistry on the two tracks that Louis Armstrong recorded with Billie Holiday for Decca.

Not that there is anything wrong with Ella, long known as the First lady of Song -she's one of my favorites, and with good reason. The tracks that are presented on the "Complete" Ella and Louis - as others have noted, these are only the complete VERVE tracks - are utterly sublime. There is not a bad performance among them. As long as people are mentioning their favorite track, mine is Stars Fell on Alabama, but that just happens to be a personal preference.

Many have mentioned the Ella / Louis Decca duets. There is an import CD by Blue Moon Records called "Ella and Satchmo" which contains numerous solo tracks by both Ella and Louis, and five of their Decca duets (I don't know if there are more - I wish Decca would put out a CD of the complete Ella / Louis duets). For those who may be interested, the duet tracks on the Blue Moon release are Would You Like to Take a Walk, Dream a Little Dream of Me, Frim Fram Sauce, You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart) and Can Anyone Explain. Well worth the investment, since the performances (if not the accompaniment) are equal to the later Verve duets. Some of the solo tracks are quite interesting as well.

I like the two together.......2005-08-09

Hello,

I like Armstrong and Fitzgerald together. And this is the completed Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstong together ON VERVE RECORDS. The previous reviewers have a few facts wrong. Ella and Louis did record Dream a Little Dream of Me on DECCA Records. You can find this recording on Ella Fitzgerald: The Last Decca Years. True, GRP has released a great deal of Ella's Decca output, there are some cuts missing, due from my understanding, some legal complexity. Ella did record Baby, It's Cold Outside with Louis Jordan. The track isn't included in any of Ella's Decca CD outputs, but it was included in The Complete Louis Jordan on Decca. But, Baby It's Cold Outside isn't on any of the 9 CDs, it is on the EP that came in the CD box set.

Average customer rating:

They're The Top
Music for everyone!

Ella & Louis Again (Dig)
Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ella and Louis
Porgy & Bess
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Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Mack the Knife: The Complete Ella in Berlin

ASIN: B000084H9J
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Tracks:

Don't Be That Way
Makin Whoopee
They All Laughed
Comes Love
Autumn In New York
Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)
Stompin' At The Savoy
I Won't Dance
Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You

Tracks:

Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
These Foolish Things
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Willow Weep For Me
I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
A Fine Romance
Ill Wind
Love Is Here To Stay
I Get A Kick Out Of You
Learnin' The Blues

Customer Reviews:

They're The Top.......2003-08-29

This is probably my favorite jazz/pop vocal album of all time. My best friend introduced me to it years ago, and I am overjoyed to see it properly reissued, complete, at long last. There's something magical in the way that Ella's elegance and Armstrong's robust humor combine to produce music of such overwhelming warmth and sophistication. When you hear Armstrong sing the deliciously quaint and suggestive verse to "Let's Do It," all about the little bluebell in the dell, and the little blue bird ("boid" in New Orleanian), and the little blue clerk, marrying Cole Porter's arch '30s wit to his own much deeper knowledge of human need, you will be won over forever. Likewise Fitzgerald's treatment of even the most mundane lyric -- as in "Don't Be That Way" -- makes it seem like pure gold, AND the most natural advice in the world.

Which is not to say that the material is inferior! These are well-chosen standards, lovely tunes that everyone ought to be humming. It's just that these two great singing musicians transform them into something really special. Get this! Get two copies, and give one to *your* best friend. You'll both be happy every time you listen.

Music for everyone!.......2003-03-21

No matter what your musical taste, it's hard to imagine that you won't love this combination. Ella & Louis are, of course, the standards by which all other jazz vocalists learn and are judged; the songs are the brightest gems from the jewel box that is the great American standard songbook; and oh, by the way, the accompanists are the redoubtable Oscar Peterson trio. Just the best in the biz, that's all. If you're a jazz aficionado, you'll find a wealth to love and appreciate; if you're a casual listener, count on it!...This is music that'll just make you happy. Get it and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

I Get A Kick Out Of You: Cole Porter Songbook Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

SUPER PORTER RENDITIONS
Excellent compilation!
I get a kick out of Cole Porter

I Get A Kick Out Of You: Cole Porter Songbook Vol. 2
Louis Armstrong , Anita O'day , Ella Fitzgerald , Helen Merrill , Dinah Washington , Mel Torme , Sarah Vaughan , Billie Holiday , and Various Artists
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Night and Day: The Cole Porter Songbook
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ASIN: B0000046K4
Release Date: 1991-10-22

Tracks:

I Get A Kick Out Of You - Louis Armstrong
My Heart Belongs To Daddy - Anita O'day
I've Got You Under My Skin - Ella Fitzgerald
After You, Who? - Helen Merrill
So In Love - Dinah Washington
Too Darn Hot - Mel Torme
Just One Of Those Things - Sarah Vaughan
Get Out Of Town - Shirley Horn
Love For Sale - Billie Holiday
From This Moment On - Anita O'day
Night And Day - Fred Astaire
Give Him The Ooh-La-La - Blossom Dearie
Ev'rything I Love - Morgana King
Miss Otis Regrets (She's Unable To Lunch Today) - Ella Fitzgerald
All Of You - Helen Merrill
Your'e The Top - Louis Armstrong
Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love - Betty Carter

Customer Reviews:

SUPER PORTER RENDITIONS.......2003-02-14

Volume 2 of the complete COLE PORTER songbooks on VERVE is a clinger all the way.Songs like EVERYTHING I LOVE,GIVE HIM THE OOH-LA-LA and MOST GENTLEMEN DON'T LIKE LOVE are not often recorded.ANITA gives us a typical treatment of MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY which means her way;The ELLA renditions are not from the songbooks of 1956;i personnaly enjoy AFTER YOU,WHO from the magical voice of HELEN MERRILL and SO IN LOVE done in cha-cha by that maneater par excellence DINAH WASHINGTON.This is an excellent tibute to COLE PORTER,well worth buying.

Excellent compilation!.......2002-08-11

Terrific versions of classic Porter songs recorded by jazz's greatest vocalists... It's hard to go wrong with this CD. This is the second volume of the Cole Porter's songbook and it is appreciably better than the first volume, which was titled "Night & Day"

I get a kick out of Cole Porter.......2001-01-07

This is an excellent compilation of Cole Porter's famous and not-so famous but nonetheless excellent songs. A wonderful tribute to a wonderful man.

Our Love Is Here To Stay: Ella & Louis Sing Gershwin

Average customer rating:

A Fabulous Compendium
This is a wonderful CD that would make a great gift
Gershwin At His Best! "Nobody Sings Like Ella!"
A great introduction to this fantastic duet
No One Sings Gershwin Better

Our Love Is Here To Stay: Ella & Louis Sing Gershwin
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000047GL
Release Date: 1998-01-27

Tracks:

I Got Plenty O' Nuttin
He Loves And She Loves
A Woman Is A Sometine Thing
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Strike Up The Band
Things Are Looking Up
They All Laughed
A Foggy Day
How Long Has This Been Going On?
Summertime
Love Is Here To Stay
There's A Boat Dat's Leavn' Soon For New York
'S Wonderful
I Was Doing All Right
Oh, Lady Be Good!

Amazon.com

When Ella and Louis recorded a series of albums together for Verve in 1956 and 1957, George Gershwin's songs were a constant theme, including a double LP of Porgy and Bess that delighted Ira Gershwin. This 1998 compilation pulls together material from those recordings to celebrate a union of jazz's greatest singers with a songwriter who had been an essential resource for jazz since the 1920s. The chemistry is consistently inspired, with Armstrong's gravelly voice, perfect rhythmic sense, and still-eloquent trumpet providing a fine complement to Fitzgerald's consummately smooth delivery and extraordinary range. Also included are Ella and Louis's own takes on Gershwin from contemporary sessions, including Fitzgerald's Jazz at the Philharmonic version of "Oh, Lady, Be Good!" (from At the Opera House) that includes Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, and Stan Getz among the tenor saxophonists. Collectors will want the CD reissues of the original albums to get a complete picture of the Fitzgerald and Armstrong partnership, or Fitzgerald's own extended encounter with Gershwin in the Songbook series; nevertheless, this is a delightful introduction to an inspired collaboration. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

A Fabulous Compendium.......2006-06-01

I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Ella and Louis were born in the `70s or `80s. Does anybody think that either of them would have stood a snowball's chance in Hell of being recognized for their immense talents? We live in a television age, a video-friendly age, an age that puts physical appearance before talent; that puts followers ahead of leaders. With her comparably plain looks, would anybody glance twice at Ella, or listen enough to realize her gift? Would Louis' ebullience be enough to propel him into the limelight, or would he be forced to succumb to producers and commercial sponsors? It's a sorry comment on today's music marketplace to consider that two of the most talented musicians of this century might not have even got their due if they were born too late, but we must be grateful that they came along when they did. We also must be willing to go back and listen as often as we can, so that we don't lose track of musicianship as grand and wonderful as theirs was.
Ella and Louis Sing Gershwin is a collection that is cobbled together from various other releases, including Porgy and Bess, Louis Armstrong meets Oscar Peterson, and of course, the duo's two sublime, rapturous duet albums and Ella's Gershwin songbook. Each of these albums is a work of art in and of itself, so any compilation of their fruits simply cannot be anything but brilliant. I will admit that I bought this because I believed it to contain unique material, so I was initially disappointed to discover that it recycled material from familiar sources, but when the music is this good, how can I complain? "They Can't Take That Away From Me" is the definitive version of the tune, as is "Love Is Here to Stay," and "S'Wonderful." From the intimacy of a four-piece combo to full-blown orchestral arrangements, the collection runs a wide dynamic range. Nelson Riddle's touch is particularly apparent on "S'Wonderful," with an arrangement that suggests the dynamic majesty of his work on Frank Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin." You don't have to pay homage when you listen, but it is hard not to be awed, especially from today's perspective. We surely do not have a modern-day equivalent of Louis and Ella, so I suggest that you make the best of the situation and enjoy this collection for the wonder that it is. A+ Tom Ryan

This is a wonderful CD that would make a great gift.......2006-03-03

This is a really nice studio recording of all the favorite Gershwin songs plus some that are not heard that often. Check out "They all laughed": I heard it on the KJZZ radio and ran straight to the Borders looking for the CD. "Things are looking up" is also a great song that I haven't heard before.

Gershwin At His Best! "Nobody Sings Like Ella!".......2003-09-05

When Ira Gershwin first heard these, his comment was, "Now I know how really good our songs were..." When you hear these songs next to any other CD, You can be certain, that "Nobody sings them like Ella & Louie!"

After listening a dozen times in the car, I realized my depression was being lifted! When I got to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, and A Foggy Day in London Town", I was singing along! Those are the 2 Highlights for me, alongside the early ones, "I Got Plenty of Nuttin, Summertime, There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York and I Was Doin All Right!" The real winners are those in which Louie plays the tune on his horn first before or after singing...1,4,11,13,15...On 15, he sings, "I was doin all right, but Now I'm doin a little Better!"

Chalk this CD up for a Great One in History for Gershwin!
Retired Chap Fred W Hood

A great introduction to this fantastic duet.......2002-10-09

Ella and Louis are undoubtfully one of the greatest duets of the popular music. Many others tried to emulate them, but we'll have to wait a very long time until another couple of great singers develop the perfect chemistry showed in this records.
This album it's a collection of 16 Gershwin's songs. The best tracks are with Ella and Louis singing together with small groups or big bands, but you can find great moments of each one singing alone (as Ella in "Oh Lady Be Good"). The collection also brings some samples of the opera "Porgy and Bess". You can face this album as a test: if you like it (and it's virtually impossible dislike the music of a great composer sang by the greatest musicians), you are ready to know the other masterpieces recorded by Ella & Louis, like "Ella & Louis", "Ella & Louis Again" and "Porgy and Bess".

No One Sings Gershwin Better.......2002-06-26

I was quite delighted to find this album because I am a big fan of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong's work together (Great interpretation of Porgy and Bess songs, and both Ella and Louis albums). I especially love when the two sing Gershwin songs, and this album is a great representative of all the classic Gershwin songs they do together. It holds a great mix of both orchestral jazz and combo jazz (with Oscar Peterson on piano). I love pretty much every song on this collection, but I think their performance of "Summertime" is scintillating. Other standouts include the cheerful "They All Laughed" and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", the dreamy "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "He Loves and She Loves", and the irresistibly catchy "Woman Is a Sometime Thing". All fans of Ella and Louis should check this out; you won't be disappointed. Plus it gives you a taste of other classic albums from the two legendary jazz singers who were made to work with each other.