Few vocalists have managed to succeed so well in both jazz and pop music as did Ella Fitzgerald. The 11th installment in her complete Classics chronology presents 24 Decca recordings made between February 2 and December 20, 1950. On eight of these she is backed by Sy Oliver & His Orchestra, sometimes singing duets with Oliver himself. Fitzgerald seems to have been able to make sense out of any routine and had the ability to put a song across in virtually any company. During this period she collaborated with two vocal groups: the aggressively wholesome Four Hits & a Miss and the Ink Spots, with whom she'd made records back in 1944. She also rendered up a suite of eight Gershwin tunes with Ellis Larkins at the piano, sat in with Louis Jordan & His Tympany 5, cut a pair of delightful duets with Louis Armstrong, and rattled off a couple of idiotic novelty tunes, accompanied by a giggling, unidentified vocal group composed of either children or foolish adults. "Molasses, Molasses" was also recorded by Spike Jones & His City Slickers with a falsetto group vocal led by squeaky-voiced George Rock, a capable trumpeter who had an annoying habit of impersonating little boys. Ella Fitzgerald's version is better, if that means anything. For a much hipper and funnier song about molasses, see Bob Howard (1937-1947, Classics 1055).
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