Ella & Duke at the Côte D'Azur

Performer: Ella Fitzgerald
Producer: Norman Granz
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: ELLA & DUKE AT THE COTE D'AZUR contains three previously unreleased tracks. Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Duke Ellington, Jimmy Jones (piano); Ray Nance (vocals, trumpet); Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope (alto saxophone); Jimmy Hamilton (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Paul Gonsalves, Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Cat Anderson, Wilbur Bascomb, Mercer Ellington, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams (trumpet); Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors, Buster Cooper (trombone); Jim Hughart, John Lamb (bass); Grady Tate, Sam Woodyard (drums). Recorded at Juan Les Pins, France in 1966. France has long had a reputation as one of the great hotbeds of live jazz. French jazz enthusiasts are renowned for their passion for and knowledge of the music. As a result, it's very difficult to find a bad live jazz recording made in France; the audiences simply don't tolerate mediocrity. Not that mediocrity was ever an issue with either Ella Fitzgerald or the Duke Ellington Orchestra, whose dynamism as performers and mastery of the genre are legendary. This two-disc set, which captures two sets recorded in the French Riviera resort town of Juan Les Pins in 1966, is one of the best live jazz albums of the '60s. Where most big bands had slid into tired nostalgia by the mid-'60s, Ellington and his cohorts were still exploring. Despite the fact that she had been singing for more than 30 years, Fitzgerald is in exceptional voice. The collaborative chemistry between Fitzgerald and Ellington is, as always, outstanding.

Through unparalleled ability and judicious choice of repertoire, Ella Fitzgerald became the foremost female interpreter of the 20th-century Great American Popular Song Book. With producer Norman Granz she worked on the "songbook" series, placing on record definitive performances of the work of America's leading songwriters. Fitzgerald had a wide vocal range, but her voice retained a youthful, light vibrancy throughout the greater part of her career, bringing a fresh and appealing quality to most of her material, especially her scat singing. While there are still numerous excellent artists whose work has been strongly influenced by Fitzgerald, the social and artistic conditions that helped to create America's First Lady of Song no longer exist, and it seems highly unlikely that we shall ever see or hear her like again.

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