A Carnegie Hall Tribute

"Carnegie Hall Celebrates the Music of Ella Fitzgerald" July 9 and 10 1996

Carnegie Hall saluted America's "First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald, with a two-concert tribute, Carnegie Hall Celebrates the Music of Ella Fitzgerald, that featured a distinguished roster of stellar singers and instrumentalists honoring a career which has spanned seven decades of groundbreaking jazz and American popular song. The series, which featured two concerts at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, July 9 and Wednesday, July 10, 1996 at 7:30 PM, is Carnegie Hall's second annual "American Popular Song Celebration," a summer series that each year surveys the work of a particular artist, song style, or composer. The inaugural series last July was an all-star tribute to Frank Sinatra in his 80th birthday season. The series is produced by John Schreiber.
The program featured performances by artists who had varying relationships with Ella Fitzgerald and the music she made popular around the world -- Ernestine Anderson, Ruth Brown, Ann Hampton Callaway, Chris Connor, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Herb Ellis, Tommy Flanagan, Lionel Hampton, Shirley Horn, Jack Jones, Diana Krall, Mandy Patinkin, John Pizzarelli, Diane Schuur, Bobby Short, Carol Sloane, Paul Smith, Weslia Whitfield, and Margaret Whiting.
The music examined over the two evenings included songs from every era of Ms. Fitzgerald's career, including such signature tunes as "How High the Moon," "A Tisket, A Tasket," "Mack the Knife," and "Lady, Be Good." Many of the songs from her classic albums as well as rarely-performed songs associated with Ms. Fitzgerald were interpreted by longtime collaborators -- including trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, guitarist Herb Ellis, accompanists Tommy Flanagan and Paul Smith, and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton -- contemporaries of Ms. Fitzgerald, as well as singers who count her among their primary influences. "Ella' s singing and improvised scat solos have influenced me both as a singer and pianist," said Diana Krall. "She is truly one of the greatest jazz musicians we have ever known." Carol Sloane said, "She taught me my ABCs: intonation, diction and swing"
The vocalists were backed by big band and small group ensembles. There was also brief reminiscences from the artists on the program as well as from surprise guests. The series was written and narrated by Jonathan Schwartz of WQEW-AM. The musical director was pianist and arranger Mike Renzi; associate producer was Frank Military.
Ella Fitzgerald began singing with the Chick Webb band in the mid-1930s, and upon Webb's death in 1939, she became the band's leader. Her professional recording career spans from the late 1930s to the 1990s. In l950, she began a working relationship with Norman Granz, performing in Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, and in 1955 Granz acquired control of her recording career. She is second only to Bing Crosby in terms of the the number of recordings released by a popular artist. Throughout her career, Ella Fitzgerald has performed at Carnegie Hall 26 times; her most recent appearance was a solo perforrnance backed by her trio in June 1991 during the IVC Jazz Festival.

Tuesday, July 9, 1996 -- "Lady, Be Good" will feature Ruth Brown, Ann Hampton Callaway, Chris Connor, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Herb Ellis, Tommy Flanagan, Jack Jones, Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli, Bobby Short, Carol Sloane, Paul Smith, and Weslia Whitfield.

Wednesday, July 10, 1996 -- "Body and Soul" will feature Ernestine Anderson, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Herb Ellis, Tommy Flanagan, Lionel Hampton, Shirley Horn, Mandy Patinkin, John Pizzarelli, Diane Schuur, Bobby Short, Carol Sloane, Paul Smith, Weslia Whitfield, and Margaret Whiting.