Ella Fitzgerald Best Is Yet To Come CD

When this session was recorded in February 1982, Ella Fitzgerald was nearing her 64th birthday, a fact that may help to not only explain the reflective tone of the title track but the set's emphasis on ballads. Given a career boost by a famous Memorex tape commercial that ran for years on television, Fitzgerald was at the time as famous as she had ever been. More importantly, her voice, always one of the best in jazz, had not only retained its elastic grace, but grown richer with age. Few jazz singers sound this wonderful this late in their careers.

Backed by a small combo featuring guitarist Tommy Tedesco and the outstanding bop pianist Jimmy Rowles, Fitzgerald gracefully--almost effortlessly--swings her way through a well-chosen selection of standards. "Autumn in New York" and "Deep Purple" have both been recorded endlessly, but rarely have they sounded so sweet.

Recorded in February 1982.

Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald, Al Aarons, Bob Cooper, Bill Green, Art Hillery, Jim Hughart, Ronald Langiner, Hubert Laws, Shelly Manne, Joe Pass, Jimmy Rowles, Marshall Royal, Wilbur Schwartz, Tommy Tedesco, Bill Watrous.