Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For

Doo-whop she bop scataly wat ma flo--and I don't mean baby-talk either. This is serious nonsense, and when Ella scatted with the likes of Louis Armstrong or Mel Tormé, well, jazz didn't get much cooler than that. This entry in the American Masters series highlights not just the cornerstone, but the whole darn foundation of vocal jazz: the Queen of Swing and First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, whose improvisational skills with 'scatting' and instrumentally mimed vocals thrilled audiences worldwide. Weaving together archival footage, full length musical numbers, b&w stills, interviews with friends, contemporaries and Fitzgerald herself, this program is a treat for viewers interested in sampling the music of an entire era. Gifted with a voice like honey, focused like a pitbull on her career and armed with perfect pitch, Fitzgerald sang with the definitive list of lyrical greats, including Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and my personal favorite, Mel Tormé. Though her personal life is--disappointingly--not much detailed here, her career was stellar: immortalizing the works of Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, Gershwin, and Duke Ellington, among others; winning 13 Grammy Awards and selling over 40 million records. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (N. Plympton)