The Edge of Darkness with Jeffrey Bennett, April 8, 2022
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Black Cat Sessions – April 8, 2022
Good evening – and Welcome to the return of the Black Cat Sessions, to be heard right here on RBN every Friday. I am your host – Jeffrey Bennett
It is that time of the week where we spend an hour together forgetting about the bad and hard news that we are forced to live with each day and to sit back, relax and enjoy the most important people in your life, your spouse, your children or your better half – and dance. Time for a martini, a sip of Scotch a fine wine. Enjoy your life for the next hour – as you listen to Black Cat Jazz.
… and tonight we dedicate this hour to our friend Dr. Fred and his family in Chicago – as they share this time together in the kitchen as they prepare for dinner.
Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald – Ella And Louis (1956)
Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald, along with the Oscar Peterson Trio, recorded this jazz gem of an album in 1956 for Verve Records in Los Angeles.
The evening before recording this album, on 16 August 1956, both Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald appeared in an all-star concert that also featured Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, which was recorded for an album entitled Live At The Hollywood Bowl.
The following day, the two singers, along with the Oscar Peterson Trio – Oscar on piano, with Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass) and Buddy Rich (drums) – were in a Los Angeles studio to record this gem of an album, which became Ella And Louis. With no time for rehearsals, the songs were all set in each singer’s key to make it easier, but this in no way affects the seamless brilliance of the performances.
Another challenge for “Pops” was the fact that the material was not his normal repertoire, meaning he had to learn things on the fly in the studio. Again, there’s no hint of any issues, which all goes to highlight Armstrong’s innate musical ability.
The warmth of their Ella and Louis’ vocals is a joy to behold, as you can hear on ‘Cheek To Cheek’, ‘Moonlight In Vermont’ and ‘The Nearness Of You’. At the end of the year, Ella And Louis was at No.1 on the Billboard Jazz Best Seller list as well as making No.12 on the mainstream chart.
Musicians:
Louis Armstrong – vocals, trumpet
Ella Fitzgerald – vocals
Oscar Peterson – piano
Ray Brown – bass
Herb Ellis – guitar
Buddy Rich – drums
