Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet); Russell Garcia, Nelson Riddle (conductor); Sonny Stitt (alto saxophone); Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Flip Phillips, Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet (tenor saxophone); Roy Eldridge (trumpet); J.J. Johnson (trombone); Oscar Peterson (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Louie Bellson, Jo Jones, Buddy Rich (drums); The Russell Garcia Orchestra; The Nelson Riddle Orchestra.

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California on August 16, 1956, between August 18 and October 14, 1957 and between January 5 and July 17, 1959; Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California on July 23, 1957; The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California on October 7, 1957. Includes liner notes by Jim Macnie.

Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet); Herb Ellis (guitar); Sonny Stitt (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, Flip Phillips, Illinois Jacquet, Lester Young, Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Roy Eldridge (trumpet); J.J. Johnson (trombone); Oscar Peterson (piano); Jo Jones , Louie Bellson, Alvin Stoller, Buddy Rich (drums).

Liner Note Author: Jim Macnie.

Recording information: Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA (08/18/1957-07/17/1959); Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA (08/18/1957-07/17/1959); Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA (08/18/1957-07/17/1959).

Illustrator: Esther Bell Watson.

Arrangers: Nelson Riddle; Russell Garcia.

By no means does this CD contain all of the Gershwin that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong recorded together for Norman Granz, nor is it entirely an Ella/Louis album. Rather, it is a hopscotch yet nevertheless unified sampler of the Verve Gershwin archive, ingratiatingly programmed so that Ella and Louis sing together, trade off solo renditions, and remind us of their inimitable personalities at all times. All three albums that Ella and Louis made together are represented -- the richest lode of Gershwin, Porgy & Bess, is summarized in a mere four cuts -- and Ella's Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book and Louis Armstrong's Meets Oscar Peterson round out the original sources. While the backing ranges in size from the intimate Peterson quartet to the lush forces of Russ Garcia and Nelson Riddle, Granz's distinct, dry recorded sound unifies the package; the set ends with a galaxy of horn legends backing a wildly improvising Ella in a live 1957 take of "Oh, Lady Be Good." Nothing rare here -- everything has been reissued on CD in multiple editions -- but it's nice to have these tracks in one compact package. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Even if you could find someone who wanted to, even if you could find some cynical, embittered individual who hated all things sentimental and old-fashioned, there would be nothing they could do--it is virtually impossible to diminish the popularity of George and Ira Gershwin's songs in the cultural consciousness. The tunes, no matter how overplayed, are just too good-- lyrics clever and memorizable, melodies infectious and immanently hummable. This Verve compilation of Gershwin hits as treated by the irascible Louis Armstrong and the rich stylings of Ella Fitzgerald includes all the favorites.

There are selections from Ella's famous performances with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, including "Things Are Looking Up," "'S Wonderful" and also the duo's interpretation of PORGY AND BESS with the spirited "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin," and, of course, "Summertime." The disc's finest numbers though, are the recordings with the Oscar Peterson trio. These versions of "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "How Long Has This Been Going On" forego the swelling arrangements of the larger orchestra for the more intimate feel of the combo. Throughout, Armstrong's inimitable conversational rasp contrasts and complements Fitzgerald's studied, exacting intonation to create a wonderful dynamic that adds even greater life and longevity to these well-known tunes.