Ruth Leon recommends… Ella in Berlin
Ruth Leon recommendsElla in Berlin
I fancied hearing a bit of Ella Fitzgerald this afternoon and what I turned up on YouTube was so wonderful that I had to share it with you. Here she is, live in concert, in Berlin in 1968. Tee Carson is on piano, with Keter Betts on Bass and Joe Harris on drums.
The black and white video is dreadful but she is, well, she’s Ella at her transcendent best and nothing else really matters. I hope you agree.
I found the black and white video pretty much more par for the course than “dreadful,” but it is wonderful that this is preserved, particularly because the sound and camera work do justice to the fine musicians she worked with.
I wouldn’t go as far as dreadful, for it still preserves the singular artistry of Ella Fitzgerald in live performance. Oftentimes the imperfect preservation of a live performance is more important than studio-controlled perfection. It gives a real sense of how an artist communicates.
What an absolute legend!! This from her; and one of the very greatest song-writers of all time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Xh2GLdZY4
I have the Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books from Verve in a big red box numbered 314-519-832-2 0501(!) containing 16 CDs (240 songs!) along with an informative 120 page hardcover book…if still available, will certainly fill the bill if you fancy hearing “a bit of Ella Fitzgerald”…and the CDs are packaged in their original album covers!
Always a music lesson listening to her.