At Juan-Les Pins
There is no dearth of live Ella Fitzgerald recordings. What makes this two-disc documentation of a 1964 French festival appearance special is the chance, thanks to the addition of a wealth of previously unreleased music, to hear her performances of the same basic set from successive nights. Basking in the presence of trumpet giantRoy Eldridge, Ella breezes through an appealing, varied program that includes favorites such as "Mack the Knife" and "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," big band classics including "Shiny Stockings" and "Perdido," and contemporary tunes such as "People" and "Can't Buy Me Love." As ever, Ella is best scatting and skittering her way into the audience's heart, particularly when she lets her hair down during her extended encores. And as supported by a rhythm section including pianist Tommy Flanagan, she's in very good form on such ballads as Mack Gordon's "Somewhere in the Night" as well. Viva la Ella.--Lloyd Sachs