Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis [Mono] (SACD hibrid mono)

When two artists get to the point where they simply have to title an album with their first names, there are no more questions. It becomes almost irrelevant that the rest of the line-up was Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums. And because this recording was made on tape in 1956, it is probably the most important mono recording in jazz history.

The Hybrid SACD is a little more subdued on the CD track than FIM’s Ultra HD mastering disc, which was released at almost the same time, and is therefore particularly recommended for owners of SACD players. Those who can only listen to the CD track should therefore opt for the FIM version.

This recording is part of a series of 25 Verve reissues on Analogue Productions. The master tapes are re-edited by senior mastering engineer George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York. Many of the tapes have only been sent as copies to other labels for decades, but Sterling Sound works so closely with Universal Music, the owners of the Verve label, that they occasionally make an exception. The hybrid SACDs sound excellent and clearly outshine earlier digitisations.

We recommend the use of „L’Art du Son” CD/DVD conditioner for even more sonic improvement.

Lista pieselor

1. Can’t We Be Friends

2. Isn’t This a Lovely Day

3. Moonlight in Vermont

4. They can’t take that away from Me

5. Under a Blanket of Blue

6. Tenderly

7. A Foggy Day

8. Stars Fell on Alabama

9. Cheek to Cheek

10. The Nearness of You

11. April in Paris