ELLA & LOUIS

Description

Louis Armstrong's career began nearly 15 years before Ella Fitzgerald's. In fact, Louis was one of Ella's early musical idols. By the early 1940s, she was already a well-known star. Although Ella and Louis likely met and played together before, they were not heard as a duo on record until January 1946, when they recorded the first of several sessions for Decca. These dates had no real plan and were limited to pop songs of the time. The situation would change dramatically with the three LPs they recorded between 1956 and 1957 for the Verve label of producer Norman Granz, which complete their collective discography – except for two live songs ("You Won't Be Satisfied" and "Undecided") recorded during a concert at the Hollywood Bowl on August 15, 1956. These memorable albums were Ella & Louis (featured here), its sequel Ella & Louis Again, and the selection of pieces from George Gershwin's folk opera Porgy & Bess. LPs on pure 180-gram virgin vinyl, in a gatefold sleeve.