Charles ...
I was fortunate to have seen what I believe to be Ella's last concert. It was at the Hollywood Bowl and the co-star was Mel Torme.
Ella, the poor thing, had glaucoma to such a degree that she had to be led onto the stage by Torme and a stage hand. As she began to sing, her voice warbled in the way of old folks ... the way in which we will all sound if we are fortunate to live long enough. With each song, you could hear the greatness of the "young" Ella trying to force her way through the aged vocal chords, but never making it. The audience, the conductor, the orchestra members all treated Ella with the utmost respect out of the memory of what was once stellar. I needed several tissues.
And Torme? Great as always. A little known factoid about Torme: He made most of his money throughout his career as an arranger for major orchestras. He was a musician extraordinaire and a genuine song stylist.
Wolf-Garcia ...
I'm listening to Brad Mehldau on Spotify as I'm writing this. The guy is really good. Thanks for the recommendation. Man, do I have a problem being hung up on 40's and 50's jazz. I've never heard of Brad Mehldau before. I hear the influences of Monk and Bud Powell in his playing ... even a little Bill Evans. I like it. I need to get out more. :-)
Frank
