Ella Fitzgerald singing "I Love You Madly" at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969. She was backed up by the Tommy Flanagan Trio, comprised of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Frank De La Rosa on bass and Ed Thigpen on the drums. "Ella Jane Fitzgerald" (Apr. 25, 1917 - June 15, 1996), also known as the "First Lady of Song" "Queen of Jazz" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist. With a vocal range spanning three octaves, she was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. She was a notable interpreter of the Great American Songbook. Over the course of her 59-year recording career, she was the winner of 13 Grammy Awards. She is regarded by many as the greatest jazz singer of all time and was one of the dominant figures in the genre throughout the second half of the twentieth century. 1969 saw her debut appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, a stage she was to g! race many more times. Backed by the Tommy Flanagan Trio she delivers a set that combines contemporary tracks such as "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Hey Jude" with classics like "I Won't Dance" and "That Old Black Magic". Whatever the material this concert proves that Ella could always swing.
