Porgy & Bess [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 18, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1958
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B000VT2NH8
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33,901 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cheapo Digital Remaster of this classic American Musical, June 18, 2009

By	ChrisWN (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews

As a teenager, I grew up on punk & new wave, but when CDs were first issued, I realized I'd probably be getting into classical & jazz as I'd get older (which turned out to be true). Porgy & Bess has to be the most seminal work of American Musical Theater, probably because it blends classical & jazz so well. This recording is also the best version of Porgy & Bess, as it documents Ella & Louis at their absolute best, no other recording matches their vocal feats. It was sheer chance that the original German issue (AAD) was the first classical/jazz CD I ever bought when CDs were first coming out. I keep coming back to it & have never tired of it, however over the years the original CD sounded a bit lackluster in comparison to many other reissues from the same era. So, I was quite excited to see that this has been digitally remastered (24 bit). Comparing the 2 recordings, the new one not only sounds louder, it is also more detailed & brighter, almost stunning. Nonetheless, I am a bit disappointed with this release. First off, it is a regular CD. To provide the full capacity of 24 bit/96 KHz remastering, this really should have been released as an SACD, DVD-A or Blu Ray audio disc. Another disappointment is that there is no bonus material. I find it hard to believe there wasn't more recorded at the time that could have been added to a second disc (or even fill out 80 minutes); this disc is actually 2 seconds shorter than the original issue (probably just pauses cut shorter). The other big disappointment is that the CD is housed in a cheap cardboard digipak. Mine has already bended. the original came with a fairly well detailed 20+ page booklet that outlined details of the theater piece itself, comments on the lyrics, & info on the recording along with some pictures of the time. This reissue contains almost no information on the recording or remastering whatsoever.

4.0 out of 5 stars porgy & bess, September 19, 2009

By	G. C. Anderson (Worcester,MA,USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

any Gershwin fan who enjoys Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald should enjoy their version of Porgy and Bess.

5.0 out of 5 stars It's the best, June 17, 2009

By	F. Morris Rosman "Ella Expert" (Southern California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Let's see, Ella and Louis and Gershwin...how could music get better than this? Take the classic score and Ella's melodious voice, and you get perfection. If you love Porgy and Bess - you'll never hear better renditions of the songs than on this album.