A rediscovered Ella album is always a treat and this concert recorded live at the Coliseum, Oakland, California back in 1967 is a fine example of the First Lady of Song in top form
The Ellington Band were in attendance although, in truth, despite most of the usual suspects being present their contribution is limited to occasional riffs and brass punctuations. Sam Woodyard, of course, being the exception. Along with Bob Cranshaw on bass and the doyen of accompanists Jimmy Jones on piano, Sam slots into the trio setting as easily as he drives the Dukal ensemble.
It's a blast from Sam that brings Ella on stage to the not unexpected applause. She chats and jokes with the crowd whilst Jones plays a vamp 'til ready accompaniment. When Ella is ready she goes into The Moment of Truth. All doubts are banished our gal has still got it!
Don't be That Way follows. It's a nice easy swing along number before we hit the first highspot in an evening of highspots - You've Changed, complete with verse and the requisite amount of pathos singing lines such as: You're not the angel I once knew, No need to tell me, I know we're through, It's all over now, You've changed.
The quirky Cole Porter song Let's do it with its double entendres always raises a smile and Ella singles out the Beatles and the Animals as doing it along with Sonny and Cher and Elizabeth and Richard - all good fun.
A swinging Bye Bye Blackbird then the Bacharach tune Alfie. Never has it been sung more beautifully (sorry Cilla) and the insertion of a few bars of You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You doesn't do it any harm at all.
It's scat time and, seeing as how the Ellingtonians were getting fidgety, why not In a Mellow Tone? Ella rolls out a few of her party tricks including a vocal trombone solo. It's good but I couldn't help but think that with Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors and Buster Cooper sitting there twiddling their slides the space could have been better used!
Music to Watch Girls by. A number I remember well from back in the day, it's a premiere for Ella who, for some reason or other, gives us a few bars of Happy Talk from South Pacific - maybe the lyric, briefly, escaped her memory.
No such problems with Mack the Knife, she probably knew that song backwards. However, it drew the most applause of the night so she knew what she was doing.
Before now when it's generally available, if you'd been an Ella completist you'd have been tempted to sell your grandmother into white slavery to get your hands on it. However, if you were someone who just liked quality jazz singing then you'd probably have settled for just loaning the old lady out! Lance
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