The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong [Box set, Limited Edition]

Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 16, 1997)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 1997
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set, Limited Edition
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000047EI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,760 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONG The Complete Ella And Louis On Verve (1997 US 47-track triple CD set pulling together the entire Verve back catalogue for the first time all digitally remastered from master tapes or best original sources complete with two twenty page booklets including the original cover artwork for the three released LPs discography & a new essay by producer Norman Granz great custom stickered concertina wallet style rivet secured packaging!)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A better pairing does not exist., February 20, 2001

By 

Eric V. Moye (New York, by way of Dallas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Audio CD)

The music gods smiled upon us several decades back when they permitted these two American treasures to pair up to create a number of memorable recordings. Happily, their efforts have been captured and reproduced on disc here. These discs capture the Verve recording sessions that are now legendary.

The contrast between the two of them is phenomenal. These contain Ella Fitzgerald when her voice was at its very strongest, and it was as clear as a bell. This contrasts with the unmistakable rasp that comes from Louis, but also is complemented by some of the most dynamic trumpet work this side of heaven. There is a wonderful juxtaposition of the two of them when they close out "Tenderly", and Louis scats and Ella's voice mimics his wonderfully identifiable voice.

"A Fine Romance", "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Stompin at the Savoy" are but a few of the classics here. Of course, nothing in the world is like their duet on the Gershwin classic "Summertime", which alone makes this worth the price of the set. These two classics together that cannot be beat.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Chemistry Makes These Tracks Shine, December 13, 2005

By 

James Morris (Jackson Heights, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Audio CD)

I am quite sure that there are few duets of any musical genre, regardless of the artists, that can easily match the magical chemistry that these two performers exhibit on these wonderful tracks. I could be wrong, but I believe that much of the magic is due to the total musicality of Louis Armstrong, a giant personality who could probably duet with anyone and have the results cook. There is, I believe, an equal chemistry on the two tracks that Louis Armstrong recorded with Billie Holiday for Decca.

Not that there is anything wrong with Ella, long known as the First lady of Song -she's one of my favorites, and with good reason. The tracks that are presented on the "Complete" Ella and Louis - as others have noted, these are only the complete VERVE tracks - are utterly sublime. There is not a bad performance among them. As long as people are mentioning their favorite track, mine is Stars Fell on Alabama, but that just happens to be a personal preference.

Many have mentioned the Ella / Louis Decca duets. There is an import CD by Blue Moon Records called "Ella and Satchmo" which contains numerous solo tracks by both Ella and Louis, and five of their Decca duets (I don't know if there are more - I wish Decca would put out a CD of the complete Ella / Louis duets). For those who may be interested, the duet tracks on the Blue Moon release are Would You Like to Take a Walk, Dream a Little Dream of Me, Frim Fram Sauce, You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart) and Can Anyone Explain. Well worth the investment, since the performances (if not the accompaniment) are equal to the later Verve duets. Some of the solo tracks are quite interesting as well.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you could own only one music collection ..., January 22, 2004

By 

Eric J. Lyman (Roma, Lazio Italy) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Audio CD)

This set has every worthwhile song ever recorded by what may be the best musical duo ever. And even though the price tag may seem high for a collection of ancient standards that for the most part had already been remastered for single-CD collections, I see it as a good value for money given the quality of the packaging and the fact that almost everything Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ever recorded is here.

That last part is what really earns this set five stars. There is no shortage of adjectives to describe this unlikely pair -- I've heard satin and sandpaper, for example, or honey and gravel -- and it is the unique contrast between their vocal styles alluded to with those descriptions and the chemistry they share that help them create what can only be viewed as magic.

By putting everything in one set, Polygram all but eliminates the need to accumulate any additional CDs from this duo. To wit: this is the only set I know of that includes Ms. Fitzgerald's and Mr. Armstrong's most playful song (Makin' Whoopee), their best known standard (Cheek to Cheek), and my personal favorite (Summertime).

If you have heard any of these songs and you enjoyed the music even partly as much as I do, then this is a must-have collection.