Track Listing

1. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
2. He Loves and She Loves
3. Woman Is a Sometime Thing
4. They Can't Take That Away from Me
5. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
6. Strike Up the Band
7. Things Are Looking Up
8. They All Laughed
9. Foggy Day
10. How Long Has This Been Going On?
11. Summertime
12. Love Is Here to Stay
13. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York
14. 'S Wonderful
15. I Was Doing All Right
16. Oh, Lady Be Good

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72912 in Music
• Brand: Armstrong
• Released on: 1998-01-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

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

it does not get any better than this!!
for any of us who think we are born to late for good music..take heart!! this cd is a must for anyone who likes music..ella is at her best and louis is the perfect partner...the new, remastered songs sound like they are singing a private concert just for you!! Their rendition of "I got plenty of nothin" is a treat for any Gershwin fan. I can not recommend this cd highly enough. I was turned on to this cd while spending a semester in Koeln Germany. (If anyone is planing a trip..i highly recomend Gonski Music at Neumarkt...the best selection of jazz cd's and they let you listen to cd's before you buy them..even if you don't buy them!! A great way to spend a rainy afternoon!)

A great introduction to this fantastic duet
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
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.