Ella Fitzgerald wasn’t born in Harlem, but she thrived in Harlem from staring on Amateur Nights at the Apollo Theater, to performing at the the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem.
Here’s a beautiful performance by Ella Fitzgerald of “Summertime,” the famous lullaby from the 1935 George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, who wrote the novel the opera is based on.
Summertime,
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy’s rich
And your mamma’s good lookin’
So hush little baby
Don’t you cry
It was filmed on February 11, 1968 at the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin. Fitzgerald was on a 21-city tour of Eastern and Western Europe, presented by Norman Granz.
Here’s the video:
She was accompanied by the Tee Carson Trio, with Carson on piano, Keter Betts on bass and Joe Harris on drums.
Via Open Culture
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Harlem Cultural Archives is a donor and foundation-supported Historical Society, Its mission is to create, maintain and grow a remotely accessible, online, interactive repository of audio-visual materials documenting Harlem’s remarkable and varied multicultural legacies, including its storied past as well as its continuing contributions to the City and State of New York, the nation, and the world. Support Harlem Cultural Archives and click here to get more Harlem History, Thank you.
Fabulous, fabulous! Thank you for making my day with the sounds of Ella and Satchmo. What a delight!
Love her music.
Thank you,
HW