Ella In Berlin - Fitzgerald, Ella - LP - Brand New Vinyl (Arrives in 20days)

The Berlin visit comes in the middle of a long sequence of ‘songbook’ recordings, usually working with top orchestras, led by Buddy Bregman, Nelson Riddle, Bill Doggett, Marty Paich, Frank DeVol, and others, highly accurate and well-drilled outfits all. And yet, it’s with a small group that her powers are most evident. Pianist Paul Smith, with whom she also made The Intimate Ella at this time, was a much underrated accompanist. Guitarist Jim Hall is more widely recognized for his own work, while bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks and drummer Gus Johnson combine the virtues of elastic swing and strict control of time. She may have forgotten the words to ‘Die Moritat von Mackie Messer’, but she still made a triumph of it, and the Berlin crowd loved her for it. One of the great concert records of the period.