Two things stand out on this previously unreleased concert recording from 1970: first,
Ella's irrepressible energy and girlish sense of humor, which she indulges at every opportunity; second, her eclectic tastes, which allow her to follow
Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" with "Spinning Wheel," a
Blood, Sweat & Tears song. And that's not to mention the
Harry Nilsson number and the three
Bacharach songs. There are the standard Ellashowpieces that no audience would have let her leave out -- "Mack the Knife," "The Girl from Ipanema," "You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" -- and she sings all of them with her typical flawless intonation and freewheeling allusiveness (only Ellacould have figured out how to quote "Hello Dolly" in the middle of "Cabaret," or would have wanted to). Her trio is a dream team -- pianist
Tommy Flanagan, bassist Frank DeLaRosa, and drummer
Ed Thigpen. Overall, the program is a joyful celebration as only
Ella could have created. ~ Rick Anderson