“Irrefutably the most incredible, brilliant jazz vocal performance ever put to wax.”

Ella Fitzgerald scats up a storm with the Jazz at the Philharmonic orchestra: Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Connie Kay (d), Roy Eldridge (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Sonny Stitt (as), Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Flip Phillips (ts). Recorded at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, October 7, 1957, and included with tracks from other venues on the album Live at the Opera House.

Norman Granz, in the original liner notes: “Incidentally, I submit that Ella’s performance of ‘Stompin’ at the Savoy’ is irrefutably the most incredible, brilliant jazz vocal performance ever put to wax. Too, Ella took what, for her, has become an old chestnut, ‘Oh, Lady Be Good’ and, since that was an impromptu performance (actually an unlooked for encore) made even that tune something different and special from the way she usually does it.” More…