Customer Reviews

Porgy & Bess

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There's a famous story that recalls legendary producer Norman Granz, at the end of every recording day of this "Porgy and Bess," effort, taking the dailies over for Ira Gershwin to listen to. Ira, who was then older and retired (George had already been gone almost a quarter century), loved what he heard so much that he readily stamped his seal of approval on the jazz version of the Gershwin masterpiece. Gershwin became visibly moved at Satchmo's soul-deep singing on more than one occasion, Grantz would later write.

Ira's enthusiasm is not suprising. This version of "Porgy and Bess" constitutes the final meeting of arguably the greatest vocal collaboration in the history of jazz. You'd think it strange that "Pops" Armstrong, with his gravelly growl, and Ella Fitzgerald, with her pronounced, learned voice, would constitute a good singing partnership. This is better than good; the album literally gives you chills up and down your spine from start to finish. The full, lush orchestra, which plays straight AND jazz orchestrations throughout, only improves with Satchmo's syncopated, totally flawless horn playing. There are so many details to cherish: Pops' throaty growl. Ella's vocal range and genius for rythmic verse. Both of their voices harmonizing together. The sudden orchestrative leaps from opera to jazz, like so many mood swings. The work, taken as a whole, is both moving and uplifting at the same time.

Personal favorites, among a sea of gems, include:

"Bess, You is my Woman Now" (The vocal harmonization leaves the listener breathless);

"It Ain't Necessarily So" and "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" (fantastic jazz orchestration and Satchmo horn)

"Lawd, I'm on My Way" (the final track moved Ira Gershwin to tears)

"Summertime" (Satchmo's barely audible growl as he begins his 'Summertime' verse makes the listener want to "climb the walls," as another reviewer so accurately noted.)

This is the stuff of legend, folks. Do yourself a huge favor and purchase a copy. Jazz -- and Gershwin -- don't get any better than this.

This is one of the 10 greatest jazz records made. As mentioned in the liner notes, for trumpet music of this style, Louis Armstrong had no peer. The contrast between the gravelly voice of Armstrong and the super sweet voice of Ella wears very well. The production was excellent, and frankly the famous opera stars on other records than often blast out Porgy and Bess don't do much for me. This is by far my favorite version of some really fantastic music by Gershwin, who is one of the greatest American composers.

Young people will find this music as corny as Frank Sinatra, but it really is tremendous music and will stand the test of time.

Here are the two greatest singers in the entire history of Jazz in their greatest accomplishment together. Ella and Louis shine, not just in the vocal heroics of Ella or in the rhythmic inflections of Louis, or in the trumpet commentary Armstrong makes on both their vocals, but in the sincerity and feeling that they both sing and act the lyrics to each other. There is simply nothing better, particularly if you take the time to listen hard, I mean just sit there and listen to the songs and the voices and the music and hear the words without anything else going on but the feeling and enjoyment and knowledge of the darkness, brightness, ugliness and beauty of life that this brings you.

The magic of this is that like all his collaboration records, Norman Grantz of Verve, produced this on the quick and cheap. The sessions were done when Louis and Ella happened to be in New York off the road between gigs without any or much rehearsal, without much time to work out the arrangements, without performances of the material anywhere. Sometimes, their first take is their first try. What geniuses they are to accomplish this without the preparation that a masterpiece requires.

Analyzing a sampler of all the joint Louis and Ella recordings, I said that this collection was so good that anyone with ears should have it whether or not you can hear, because the deaf will want this to be the first thing they hear when they find a cure. I stand by that.

This is the one that runs through my mind and won't go away, the soundtrack to many memories. Even my first experience of Porgy & Bess in performance has been preempted by this one. Whenever I get it out, it gets played over a dozen times before it gets put back. I hadn't heard it when Louis died, but when Ella did, it was this soundtrack that ran through my mind, over, and over. Not only is this my favorite rendition of Porgy & Bess, it's my favorite of Ella's many works -- this from someone who heard her in person.

The chemistry between ELLA and LOUIS was great.It was not evident to do PORGY and BESS with them,but it works splendidly.There is a minor setback for me:ELLA can't do MY MAN's GONE NOW the way SARAH VAUGHAN used to sing it,but the rest of the disc is so enjoyable that one can easily pass that over.I am happy that NORMAN GRANZ the producer succeeded in convincing LOUIS to tackle that project.It is really moving to hear him sing and play his instrument on those tracks,especially I GOT PLENTY OF NOTHIN' and THERE'S A BOAT LEAVING SOON FOR NEW YORK.If you have to choose among the many recordings of PORGY and BESS available,you have to go for that one,even if of course,this is not the complete work.

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

No one can compare to two of the greatest jazz musicians ever in this recording. I wish I could have seen Ella and Louis sing together because they must have made an amazing duo live. This is definately a necessity for any music lover's collection.

This is my favorite Ella Fitzgerald cd! While Louis Armstrong's singing is gravelly and rough, Ella is smooth as silk-- they make a perfect combo. Although nearly every song is absolutely gorgeous, Ella's renditions of "Bess, You is My Woman Now", "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'" and "I Wants to Stay Here" are to die for.