Montreux '77

Product Description:

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

Recorded at The Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland on July 14, 1977. Originally released on Pablo Live (2308-206). Includes original liner notes by Norman Granz.

Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1989, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California).

In the mid-to-late '70s, Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most visible artists in jazz, thanks largely to her television appearances and commercials. Her yearly appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland were not only highlights of the festival weekend, but were also usually released as live albums. Backed with her usual accompanists during this era, the Tommy Flanagan Trio, Fitzgerald runs through a spirited set, opening with a sassy "Too Close For Comfort" and continuing through nine other gems. Highlights include a delightful version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba," a dramatic "My Man," and the extended scat workout "Billie's Bounce," though the version of Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" closing the set is strangely tame.