Ella Fitzgerald “Songbook” records, with her peerless renditions of the best songs from iconic composers from Irving Berlin to Rodgers and Hart to Cole Porter to George and Ira Gershwin and more are the cornerstone of the Verve catalog and the veritable standard for jazz vocal recordings. As influential as these albums were on the history of jazz and American Popular Song, Ella Fitzgerald never released a live version of these Songbooks. This landmark record, discovered in the private collection of producer Norman Granz, will make the first time a live Songbook has been released from the first lady of song.
This album is a first in a number of other respects, as well: although she performed regularly at the Bowl, this is the first full-length concert by Ella from this iconic venue to be released.
Furthermore, it documents the only time Ella worked in concert with Paul Weston, the gifted arranger-conductor of her Irving Berlin Songbook album.
