Search - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong :: Ella & Louis for Lovers

A love fest !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 02/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong recorded some of the most beautiful ballads ever. Ella's higher pitched voice complements Louis' gravelly yet tender voice on this CD; and each number thrills you as if it were the very first time you ever heard the song. This CD proves it.



The CD starts off with the remarkably beautiful "The Nearness Of You." The musical arrangement boasts a fine percussion section and the horns enhance the jazzy rendition of this ballad. Ella's voice is smooth as silk; and she sings with a degree of emotional intimacy that people can rarely impart to their audiences. Louis' voice is strong, masculine and passionate, too. Love that trumpet!



The album continues with another romantic number entitled "Stars Fell On Alabama." Ella and Louis perform this without a superfluous note and the overall potency of this number shines brightly!



Another classic worthy of special mention is "Dream A Little Dream Of Me." Louis and Ella sing of how they love each other so much that they cannot bear to spend the night under separate roofs. The musical arrangement makes good use of the piano and the horns in the band. Excellent!



Other terrific numbers on this CD include "Love Is Here To Stay" which they sing so passionately you begin to believe they are in love in real life; "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)" with its great piano intro and its slow paced arrangement to accentuate the splendid experience of love and "Autumn In New York."



The CD closes fittingly with "Tenderly." "Tenderly" features the incomparable trumpet playing of Louis Armstrong; and together Ella and Louis sing perfectly. Ella and Louis added a line to this number to personalize the song and make it more immediate both to them and their listeners: "You took my chops/'way from Pops." "Pops" refers to Louis Armstrong; this leads us to wonder if Ella and Louis ARE in love. In fact, they are in love--but much more so with their music than each other in real life.



The liner notes include a great essay by Al Young; and the song credits are there, too. The inside artwork includes beautiful black and white photos of Ella and Louis.



I highly recommend this CD for Ella and Louis fans alike; and people in love will treasure this very special CD. Fans of classic pop vocals and classic jazz will enjoy this, too.

"

Great! 11 Songs from Ella and Louis

Johnny Boy | Hockessin, DE | 07/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Probably the best pairing of vocalists in jazz history, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong display their unique chemistry here with this selection of their love songs and romantically driven songs in their installment in Verve's 'For Lovers' series.



This is a great overview of Ella and Louis' finest work. The highlights for me are 'Dream A Little Dream Of Me' and the standard, 'Stars Fell On Alabama.' But the whole CD is superb.



If you buy this, I recommend you buy their installment in the '20th Century Masters' series, 'Compact Jazz: Ella and Louis' or if you want to get it all, 'The Complete Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.'



This set is very enjoyable. 11 songs makes for a great listening experience! The best of the best is featured here. There is a great feeling of love in these 11 recordings.



Highly recommended for any jazz fan or Ella and Louis fan. These 11 recordings represent what good music really is.



ENJOY!!!"