Ella Fitzgerald
was at the peak of her form during her 1960 tour of Europe. Her Berlin concert is most remembered for her hilariously inventive version of "Mack the Knife," during which she forgot the words and substituted ones of her own that somehow fit, amazing herself in the process. With fine support from her quartet -- pianist
Paul Smith
, guitarist
Jim Hall
, bassist
Wilfred Middlebrooks
, drummer
Gus Johnson
--
Fitzgerald
is brilliant throughout the well-rounded set, with highlights including "Misty" (a version very different from
Sarah Vaughan
's), "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Too Darn Hot," and a scat-filled "How High the Moon." This is essential music. ~ Scott Yanow