Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Ella and Louis Again [Mono] (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series Edition)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.

Acoustic Sounds Series reissues from Verve/Universal Music Enterprises!

Monthly releases highlighting the world's most historic and best jazz records!

Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes

180-gram LPs pressed at Quality Record Pressings!

Stoughton Printing gatefold old-style tip-on jackets

Series supervised by Chad Kassem CEO of Acoustic Sounds

Click to see the Acoustic Sounds Series

"This new reissue of Ella And Louis Again is a much-needed solution for audiophile-leaning jazz fans the world over. If you’ve ever gone looking for original pressings of this record, you know that it is hard to find in any condition. ... The two 'Ella And Louis Again' LPs in the set I’m reviewing here are thick, dark, quiet, and, most importantly (for me, at least), well-centered. Ryan K. Smith’s disc mastering is once again excellent, delivering a clean and punchy vinyl playback experience while sounding true to the release’s era." — Music = 10/11; Sound = 9/11 - Mark Smotroff, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Smotroff's full review, click here.

Producer Norman Granz had a stroke of genius when he signed the jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to his Verve label. The duo that critics have called "A match made in heaven," take to the microphone here for a repeat on Ella And Louis Again, the sequel to 1956's acclaimed Ella and Louis. Ella's voice — radiant, warm, sweet as honey, and Louis' gritty, gravelly, croon formed a sound rife with commercial success.

The sequel album was backed by the Oscar Peterson trio, with Louie Bellson replacing Buddy Rich on the drums. The 10-track album had seven tracks with solo singing and three duet tracks. Ella and Louis Again stood out from their first album and subsequent album Porgy and Bess. It focused more on the artist's voices rather than Louis' trumpet solos on Ella and Louis and didn't have a big band like the one featured in Porgy and Bess. This focus truly brought the voices of the two icons center stage, where they were able to perform in perfect black and white contrast. The Oscar Peterson trio did not go unnoticed, however. They were mentioned as a "solid rhythm section" by Alex Henderson at AllMusic.

Ella and Louis Again will rein down in history as being an important piece to what could be considered the most iconic jazz trilogy of all time.

Originally released in 1957.

Musicians:
Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocals
Ella Fitzgerald, vocals
Louie Bellson, drums
Ray Brown, bass
Herb Ellis, guitar
Oscar Peterson, piano

Music

Sound

Ratings from Mark Smotroff @ AnalogPlanet.com

(Above description from AcousticSounds.com)