A Live Performance – February 2025
This song was written by tenor sax man Frank Foster in the mid 1950’s while he was playing and arranging in the Count Basie band. Originally an instrumental, the song became so popular that Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks, Ross fame) subsequently penned a lyric and Ella Fitzgerald’s recording made the song a vocal standard.
Ella is a shining light for me as a jazz vocalist and in my early days learning standards this was one of hers that I zeroed in on . Ella’s scat singing was particularly joyful, hi end, irreverent at times but always highly musical and just naturally outstanding. She was marvelously gifted and oozed the kind of free flow talent that is truly astounding. I have studied so much of her work and I am jaw to the floor often times at how she weaves in and out of a melody or a chord chart – flawlessly. Every time. Here is my humble Sunday afternoon attempt. I hope you like it !
Deb Dicembre Music 