At the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975

Product Description:

Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Keter Betts (bass); Bobby Durham (drums).

Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland on July 17, 1975. Includes liner notes by Benny Green.

Digitally remastered by Kirk Felton (Fantasy Studios, Berkley, California).

In the mid-'70s, Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most visible artists in jazz, thanks largely to television appearances and a popular Memorex commercial. Her yearly appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland were highlights of the festival weekend, and were often released as live albums. Her 1975 set--backed by pianist Tommy Flanagan and his rhythm section--is a spirited whirl through jazz and pop history. Opening with the Ellington classics "Caravan" and "Satin Doll," Fitzgerald and Flanagan essay Cole Porter's "Let's Do It," two samba jewels by Antonio Carlos Jobim and the Billie Holiday classic "Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do." The clear highlight, though, is an abandoned and often extremely funny extended scat version of "How High the Moon" incorporating snatches of many other jazz and pop classics. It's a tour de force performance.