Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong collaborations
The collaborations between
In terms of
Background
Fitzgerald appeared in many duets in the Forties, appearing on recordings with, among others, The Ink Spots, Louis Jordan and Louis Armstrong as well as a host of instrumentalists from the Jazz At The Philharmonic troupe.[3] The idea of entire duet album came about from Verve's Norman Granz who had the idea to pair Fitzgerald and Armstrong.[3] Granz also persuaded Armstrong to forsake his own trad jazz group and embrace the modern sound of Oscar Peterson and composers such as Porter and Berlin. Fitzgerald allowed Louis to choose the keys in which to sing the repertoire and together they recorded the first of three albums, Ella and Louis.[3]
Release details
Ella and Louis Again, which features nineteen songs, primarily consists as a collection of vocal duets like its predecessor. However, seven selections do involve either Armstrong or Fitzgerald singing without the other. Examples of the popular music standards done in the album include the Irving Berlin compositions "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" as well as the Vernon Duke piece "Autumn in New York". The backing group remained the same except for Buddy Rich's role being taken by Louie Bellson;[1]
Porgy and Bess, which came out in April 1959, is not to be confused with either the 1951 release by the same title or the 1956 release The Complete Porgy and Bess (which is also known as just Porgy and Bess too). All three albums draw on the material in George and Ira Gershwin's operatic stage drama of that name, a piece that had its original Broadway production in 1935. All of the above titles are also sometimes known as Porgy & Bess.
On May 20, 1997, the compilation album The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve first came out.[2] The Complete Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Studio Recorded Duets (also known as just The Complete Studio Recorded Duets) was first released on March 31, 2008.[6] It saw a re-release in 2011.[7] Despite the latter's title, that two-CD album only featured a selection of thirty-five particular tracks by the duo, lifting just four of the pieces on Porgy and Bess.[6][7]
Reviews and reception
Ella and Louis has picked up praise from a variety of publications. Writing for
Ella & Louis Again earned similar laudatory comments from many publications.
Porgy and Bess joined the Grammy Hall of Fame by 2001.[8] The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve attracted praise in the same vein as the original releases that the compilation albums took songs from, such as from Richard S. Ginell of Allmusic.[2]
Writing for All About Jazz, music critic David Rickert stated that the collaborations were "a match made in heaven" and lauded Ella and Louis, Ella and Louis Again, and Porgy and Bess all as "terrific albums". He remarked, "Their work together is a highlight of the 1950s, a busy time for classic vocal jazz records, and both were in fine form on these dates, Fitzgerald's sweetly melodic voice contrasting nicely with Armstrong's coarse rasp." In his view, the related 2011 compilation album that included most of their collaborations, while missing several tracks, "captures some of the finest vocal work of the past century".[7]
See also
- Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong collaborations:
- Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong collaborations:
- Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington: The Great Summit/Complete Sessions
- Count Basie and Frank Sinatra collaborations:
References
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c ELLA FITZGERALD TRIBUTE: Five of Ella Fitzgerald's finest albums. Music Week; London (Apr 21, 2007): 18.
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ^ Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ^ Grammy.org. Retrieved March 1, 2016.