This album presents the complete 1957 Ella Fitzgerald at the Opera House, including both the Stereo and Mono LP versions, which were in fact different concerts - one recorded at the Opera House in Chicago and the other at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. These were part of the Norman Granz J.A.T.P. concerts.
Ella is backed by a truly star-studded band which included: Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge, J.J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz and Flip Phillips.
As a bonus, a rare 8 minute reading of How High the Moon appearing here on CD for the first time ever - with Ella backed by Lou Levy, Herb Ellis, Wilfred Middlebrooks, and Gus Johnson.
Tracklisting:
01. ITS ALL RIGHT WITH ME (2:31)
02. DONCHA GO WAY MAD (2:42)
03. BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED (3:01)
04. THESE FOOLISH THINGS (3:45)
05. ILL WIND (2:47)
06. GOODY GOODY (1:54)
07. MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT (3:05)
08. THEM THERE EYES (2:08)
09. STOMPIN AT THE SAVOY (5:14)
10. ITS ALL RIGHT WITH ME (2:45)
11. DONCHA GO WAY MAD (2:31)
12. BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED (3:22)
13. THESE FOOLISH THINGS (3:49)
14. ILL WIND (2:53)
15. GOODY GOODY (1:55)
16. MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT (3:16)
17. STOMPIN AT THE SAVOY (7:15)
18. OH, LADY BE GOOD (4:24)
19. HOW HIGH THE MOON (8:31) (*) Bonus Track
Total time: 67:56 min.
Originally issued as Verve LP (MGVS 6026).
Personnel on tracks #1-9: Ella Fitzgeral (vcl), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Jo Jones (d). Added on track #9: Roy Eldridge (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Sonny Stitt (as), Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz and Flip Phillips (ts). Recorded live at the Chicago Opera House, on September 29, 1957.
Personnel on tracks #10-18: Ella Fitzgeral (vcl), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Jo Jones (d). Added on tracks #17-18: Roy Eldridge (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Sonny Stitt (as), Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Flip Phillips (ts), and Connie Kay replaces Jo Jones. Recorded live at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, on October 7, 1957.
Track #19 features Ella Fitzgerald (vcl) with Lou Levy (p), Herb Ellis (g), Willed Middlebrooks (b), and Gus Johnson (d). Recorded at Playboy Jazz Festival, Chicago, on August 9,1959.
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Notes:
"Taken from a Jazz at the Philharmonic tour, Ella Fitzgerald is backed by pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Jo Jones on two well-rounded sets. Actually, the two dates are quite similar, with eight of the nine songs being repeated (although the second "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Oh, Lady Be Good" find her backed by a riffing eight-horn all-star group), so this album is mostly recommended to her greatest fans. However, the music is wonderful, there are variations between the different versions, and her voice was at its prime."
Scott Yanow -All Music guide
"Here, in a JATP set cut in performance at Chicago's Opera House, ¡s some of the best jazz singing Ella has done ¡n years. Ella roars. She sings ballads with a fine jazz feeling. She scats like a tenor man digging in and wailing on a night when everything breaks just right. This LP should help explain why she keeps knocking over poll after poll as a jazz singer."
Dom Cerulli -Down Beat, 1958
