Ella Fitzgerald on top form:
The old Weill-Brecht song, of course - made famous in its English version by Louis Armstrong and then Bobby Darin.
Ella herself recorded a live version of the song for her 1960 album Ella in Berlin, when she famously forgot the words and improvised her way through. The performance here, as far as I can tell from the YouTube comments, seems to be in Stockholm, some time later in the Sixties. She's still improvising though - she breaks into a Louis Armstrong impression around 2:30, then she's off:
Bobby Darin....and Louis Armstrong....both made records....of this song...and now Ella...Ella the fella.....(indecipherable)....the same old song....
Whatever. A classic performance.
I thnk she's saying: Ella and her fellas are making a wreck, what a wreck, of this song. That's what she sings in Berlin. She also mentions Stockholm right in the song.
Mention of Louis Armstrong makes me think of this, the perfect version of a great song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDheam8S1pk
Posted by: Dom | September 21, 2012 at 01:40 PM
OK, thanks. And yes, that's a great version of Summertime.
Posted by: Mick H | September 21, 2012 at 01:57 PM