Ella and Oscar

AMG Review of Ella and Oscar

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

For this Pablo set (reissued on CD), Ella Fitzgerald is heard on half of the program in duets with pianist Oscar Peterson and for the remainder in trios with Peterson and bassist Ray Brown. In general the performances are memorable (particularly "How Long Has This Been Going On," "More than You Know," "Midnight Sun" and "April in Paris") with the emphasis on ballads. Although her voice had slipped a little by this time, the results are still rewarding and swinging.