Porgy and Bess (Armstrong & Fitzgerald album)

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Porgy and Bess
Studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong
Released	1957
Recorded	August 18,19 October 14, 1957
Genre	Opera, Jazz
Length	66:20
Label	Verve
Producer(s)	Norman Granz
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong chronology
Ella and Louis Again (1957)	Porgy & Bess (1957)

Porgy & Bess is a 1957 album (see 1957 in music) by the Jazz vocalist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong, and the Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald collaborating on this recording of selections from George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

This album is considered the most musically successful of the jazz vocal versions of the opera, released to coincide with the 1959 movie version.

The arranger on this album, Russ Garcia had previously arranged the first jazz vocal recording of the album, 1956's, The Complete Porgy and Bess

[edit] Track listing

1. "Overture" (George Gershwin) – 10:52
2. "Summertime" – 4:58
3. "I Wants to Stay Here" – 4:38
4. "My Man's Gone Now" – 4:02
5. "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" – 3:52
6. "Buzzard Song" – 2:58
7. "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" – 5:28
8. "It Ain't Necessarily So" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 6:34
9. "What You Want Wid Bess?" – 1:59
10. "Woman Is a Sometime Thing" – 4:47
11. "Oh, Doctor Jesus" – 2:00
12. Medley: "Here Come de Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Dey's So Fresh and Fine" – 3:29
13. "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York" – 4:54
14. "Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" – 2:36
15. "Oh, Lawd, I'm on My Way!" – 2:57

All songs written by George and Ira Gershwin and Dubose Heyward, unless otherwise indicated.

• Originally released on the Verve label in 1957 (Verve MGV 4011-2, V/V6 4068, 537287-2).
• Re-released by PolyGram on Cd in 1990 (#27475).

[edit] Cast and orchestra

• Louis Armstrong - Vocals, Trumpet
• Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
• Paul Smith - Piano
• Alvin Stoller - Drums

• Orchestra:

• Vincent DeRosa - French horn
• Frank Beach - Trumpet
• Buddy Childers - Trombone
• Cappy Lewis
• Milt Bernhart
• Marshall Cram
• James Henderson
• Lloyd Ulyate
• Victor Arno - Violin
• Robert Barene
• Jacques Gasselin
• Joseph Livoti
• Dan Lube
• Amerigo Marino
• Bill Miller
• Erno Neufeld
• Marshall Sosson
• Robert Sushel
• Gerald Vinci
• Tibor Zelig
• Myron Bacon - Viola
• Abraham Hochstein
• Raymond Menhennick
• Myron Sandler
• Justin Di Tullio - Cello
• Kurt Reher
• William Van Den Burg
• Tony Rizzi - Guitar
• Joe Mondragon - Double Bass
• Chorus
• Russell Garcia - Arranger, Conductor

[edit] External links

• Notes on August 18-19 1957 session and October 14 1957 session from Satchography.com
• Notes on August 18-19 1957 session and October 14 1957 session from the Jazz Discography Project

The World of Porgy and Bess

Book and play - Opera Creators: George Gershwin - Ira Gershwin - DuBose Heyward - Dorothy Heyward Media: Discography - Film adaptation Songs and adaptations: "Summertime" - "Catfish Row"