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Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25, 1918 and died June 15, 1996. Orphaned in early childhood, she moved to New York to attend an orphanage school in Yonkers.
In 1934, she was discovered after taking part in an amateur contest sponsored by the Apollo Theatre, New York. This led to an engagement with Chick Webb's band, and she soon became a celebrity of the swing era. From there, she went solo and made a number of recordings. Her career took off from the time she began her association with Norman Granz in 1946, first as part of his Jazz at the Philharmonic tours, and then with him as her manager.
She also sang in a jazz group led by her husband, Ray Brown (1948-1952). Among her best-known early projects were her "songbooks" dedicated to major American songwriters, which she and Ray Brown recorded for Granz's Verve record label. She issued many recordings for Granz's labels and made frequent appearances at jazz festivals with Count Basie, Tommy Flanagan, Duke Ellington, Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson. 1
Ella Fitzgerald, who collected many international honours during a lengthy and distinguished jazz career, was considered the quintessential female jazz singer for more than five decades. The versatility of her distinctive velvety voice enabled her to give performances that rival those of the best jazz instrumentalists.
She worked with Oscar Peterson from 1960 to 1974 and made many studio recordings with him. "Recording with Ella was very special," he recalls. 2
Have a look at a heart-warming letter Oscar Peterson wrote after Ella's death.
Selected Recordings
Ella Fitzgerald Sings Gershwin Songs (1950, Decca )
J.A.T.P. in Tokyo 1953 (1953, Pablo 2620-104-2)
Ella and Louis with Louis Armstrong (1956, Verve )
Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday (1958, Verve )
Ella and Oscar (1975, Pablo 2310-759)
Footnotes
1 Kernfeld, Barry. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. London: Macmillan Press Ltd, 1988.
2 Lees, Gene. Oscar Peterson: The Will to Swing. Rocklin, California: Prima Publishing & Communications, 1990.
O.P. & Friends
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