Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

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 Amazon.com essential recording

Buy It...NOW !

This is the greatest duet record of all time. This will stay in your collection Forever. Beautiful, Just simply beautiful. May 1, 2008

Love It

'Louis and Ella just take me on a trip through time and place me in a smokey jin joint on a Friday night.. January 22, 2008

Perfection

Masterpiece!it's a privledge to listen to this fine body of work. Like sitting in a jazz club with a private concert. I absolutely love this.

November 18, 2007

Ella and Louis Cast a Seer's Spell On You!

Hi Folks. I am back planning an at home romantic evening with Sondra the Seerest. What? You didn't know Metamorpho was a romantic at heart? Of course I am! Ask my agent. Anyway, she's a nice gal but needs alot of polishing and etiquette. I have visions of me being Henry Higgins to her Eliza. But that is a treacherous road my people. I risk her leaving me alone after all is said and done. Another heart broken. Mine! But don't be too concerned. I got an A+ on the course on mesmerization and know all the tricks.
One of them is playing this album when she arrives. She will swoon and look at me with loving eyes. Guaranteed! Hey look-- you can not possibly fail with Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Two astonishing American musical icons that stand at the top of that legendary pinnacle of excellence. They seem so opposite in their styles. But when you put the two together it is pure magic. The music swings when it has to- and is a loving kiss in softer, more tender moments. This is a fortuitous find for me. I am always on the look-out for more reflective music. And, I am very much of the mind that one must expand and reach out to other musical genres. Also, that there has been a virtual wealth of great music that went before. I feel this way about movies too. There is something of value in every generation and my Seer's vision of this enriches my life in ways you can't imagine.
Anyway, I can't say enough about Ella. What a fine lady and probably one of the highest vocalists that ever lived. A style with precision and crystal clear enunciation. You never have to wonder about what word she sings - it is clarity to the nth degree. With Louis, I have always had it in my mind a vision of him playing trumpet and putting a hankerchief across his forehead to wipe away the sweat. Also, that famous grin. I really didn't know his gift fully as a vocalist until I listened to this. He's raspy with pizazz, while Ella compliments with heart and flawless singing. This is truly GREAT STUFF!
So many songs that swing, bop, and are delicate as well. And the mood fluctuates in pleasant and wonderful vibrations as you move from song to song. And the songs? So many examples of great American music here. To name a few- I love the fun of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", the romance of "Stars Fell On Alabama", the allure of "They Can't Take that Away from Me", the beautiful "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess, and the jazz jump of "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm". These are just a few of the wonderful songs that inhabit this album. Each one is a gem and so nice to hear on a romantic night. Should I even mention the band? Accomplished and seasoned and like the fine wine I am chilling for Sondra this very minute. For those who want the "real" thing, this is the one. No tricks, no gimmicks, just music at it's finest.
Oh. I hear the doorbell ring! It must be her. Sorry folks, but I've got to run. I need to start this album again and light all the candles. Sondra doesn't like a non-reflective place! ;)

Reflecting at the Savoy--your "romantic" Metamorpho November 10, 2007

The musical odd couple!

What a musical odd couple! Ella Fitzgerald--and her smooth, elegant voice--and Louis Armstrong and his anything but elegant voice! But this CD works pretty well indeed. Two of the greatest performers of the 20th century play with a set of great songs--and pull it off well.

Let's take a look at some of the cuts on this CD.

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off": A nice Gershwin tune! Potato versus potawto. What a strange combination of voices. But the two talented artists work well together. Her lustrous voice and his "used up" voice.

"They Can't Take That away from Me": Ella's smooth voice plays with this song so well. She wails "The way you sing off key." And then Armstrong's singing plays off well against that line. An odd duet, but it works.

"Summertime": Another Gershwin classic. Armstrong's instrumental work sets this up nicely. Fitzgerald's singing is rich and luminous. Armstrong's isn't. Again, though, the odd vocal juxtaposition works--against all odds.

"Stomping at the Savoy": A Benny Goodman song. What a great song. Fitzgerald starts this off well, with some nice scat singing. Fitzgerald's and Armstrong's voices intertwine well in an oddly affecting way.

In the end, this is a very nice CD.
October 6, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...