What a score! All the Verve Ella and Louis sessions in one set. I wish I had this CD...

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Can't We Be Friends? - Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Ray Brown, Val Valentin, Herb Ellis, Buddy Rich
2. Isn't This A Lovely Day? - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Buddy Rich
3. Moonlight In Vermont - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich
4. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich
5. Under A Blanket Of Blue - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Buddy Rich, Herb Ellis
6. Tenderly - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich
7. A Foggy Day - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich
8. Stars Fell On Alabama - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Buddy Rich
9. Cheek To Cheek - Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich
10. The Nearness Of You - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich
11. April In Paris - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich
12. Don't Be That Way - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
13. Makin' Whoopee - Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
14. They All Laughed - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
15. Comes Love - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
16. Autumn In New York - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson

Disc 2:

1. Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) - Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Louie Bellson, Ray Brown
2. Stompin' At The Savoy - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
3. I Won't Dance - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
4. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
5. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
6. These Foolish Things - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
7. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
8. Willow Weep For Me - Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Louie Bellson, Ray Brown
9. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
10. A Fine Romance - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
11. Ill Wind - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
12. Love Is Here To Stay - Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
13. I Get A Kick Out Of You - Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
14. Learnin' The Blues - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
15. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart) - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong
16. Undecided - Ella Fitzgerald, Norman Granz, Louis Armstrong, Val Valentin, Crummy Young, Edmond Hall, Billy Kyle, Dale Jones, Barrett Deems

Disc 3:

1. Porgy And Bess: Overture - Louis Armstrong, Russell Garcia
2. Summertime - Louis Armstrong, Russell Garcia, Norman Granz, Ella Fitzgerald
3. I Wants To Stay Here - Ella Fitzgerald, Russell Garcia
4. My Man's Gone Now - Ella Fitzgerald, Russell Garcia
5. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' - Ella Fitzgerald, Russell Garcia
6. Buzzard Song - Ella Fitzgerald, Russell Garcia
7. Bess You Is My Woman Now - Ella Fitzgerald, Russell Garcia
8. It Ain't Necessarily So - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Russell Garcia
9. What You Want Wid Bess? - Ella Fitzgerald, Russell Garcia
10. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing - Louis Armstrong, Russell Garcia
11. Oh, Doctor Jesus - Ella Fitzgerald, Russell Garcia
12. Porgy And Bess: Medley: Here Come De Honey Man / Crab Man / Oh, Dey's So Fresh And Fine - Louis Armstrong, Russell Garcia
13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York - Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, Russell Garcia
14. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess? - Louis Armstrong, Russell Garcia
15. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way - Louis Armstrong, Russell Garcia

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75870 in Music
• Released on: 1997-06-09
• Number of discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .31 pounds
• Running time: 217 minutes

CD Description
This compact, stylishly packaged, three-disc box set delivers exactly what the title promises: every one of the 47 master tracks (including a few unreleased tracks) recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong for Verve between August 1956 and October 1957. The jazz standards and pop songs on disc one and two are what gained the most attention at the time, and justifiably so--Fitzgerald and Armstrong are possiblythe two greatest scat singers in jazz history, and under Norman Granz's magnificent tutelage, both perform at the best of their abilities.
But it's the material on disc three that's possibly the most satisfying. Fitzgerald and Armstrongperform the complete song score to George and Ira Gershwin's PORGY AND BESS, and it may well be the definitive vocal interpretation, as individual yet true to the intent of the composers as Miles Davis's and Gil Evans' more renowned instrumental version. Fitzgerald and Armstrong's take on the scoreis an overlooked masterpiece.

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Customer Reviews

Satch and Lady Ella blow up a storm
Back in the late '50's Ella Fitzgerald was just starting on her amazing 'songbook' series with Verve. Louis Armstrong was free of his long time Decca contract, touring the world and recording when he got the chance. Norman Granz at Verve has to be thanked for having the inspired idea of putting them together and making the arrangemetns to get Satch into his studio. They recorded three albums together, Ella and Louis (1956), Ella and Louis Again and Prgy and Bess (both 1957). Here we get the three complete albums and a wealth of extra material that wasn't released at the time.

It's hard to know where to start. I've always thought that both artists are superb, but both always attained new heights when paired with an equally strong artist (Louis' recordings with Duke Ellington, or Ella's with Count Basie for example, show them at the top of their game). Here they just go one further. I certainly rate these as the best recordings of Satch's career, and Ella was only better when she came to work with Duke Ellington on his songbook entry.

OK, so we have two superb artists, backed by some excellent musicians (including the Oscar Peterson trio), taking a joyous stroll through the great American songbook in the first two albums, and making a definitive version of Porgy and Bess in the third. I just can't rate these recordings highly enough. Louis is blowing some great trumpet solos (and laying down a sublime vocal) and Ella's singing is just amazing. The backing musicians are just swinging. And, most importantly, everyone just seems to be having a good time.

Definitely a set for any jazz fan, or just a fan of good music in general.