Search - Chubby Jackson :: Live at the Swiss Chalet

Very high on the list of Ella's concerts

songlife | Dayton, OH | 06/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a must-have for Ella fans, or fans of high quality music in general. It's on an unknown little label, better get it before it goes out of print. Ella's live shows were the ultimate format for her creativity, and she was in fantastic voice at this particular show. A key to her concerts being either good or great are, for one, the set lists - is she singing common standards in 2-3 minute format with little improv, or did she pick great songs that allowed her to expand them and be creative? The latter, at this show. With the right material, Ella could hold an entire audience riveted to her every note, and she does so here. She shines with soul, charm, charisma, and creative brilliance. She really had quite a sense of humor too, and she kept this audience (and herself) chuckling constantly with her onstage comments, mixed-up lyrics (lots of references to 'Laugh-In', the popular TV show at the time), and ridiculously brilliant scatting. "One Note Samba" is a classic - no words, just scat. It's easy to imagine members of the audience sitting there watching her with their jaws on the floor in stunned amazement that a human being could sing like that.The sound quality is poor, unfortunately. Better than a bootleg, but not of studio-mixed quality. There's tape dropouts and mild warpage sometimes, and an overall flat sound, but in general it's perfectly listenable. We have to take what we can get with music this great."

Recorded at the absolute zenith of Ella's amazing powers

Jazz Pianist | Milwaukee, WI USA | 03/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ella has never sounded more astonishing or relaxed than she does on this remarkable live disc. She BELTS out the blues, melts you on some gorgeous ballads and swings hugely, mightily and joyously on tunes like Gone With The Wind and Satin Doll. The speed and articulation of her scat singing at the close of One Note Samba is SUPERHUMAN and must be heard to be believed. She does phenomenal things with her voice and her range on this CD that I've never heard her do before. There are many other great live recorded Ella concerts, but this one is absolutely in a league of it's own. If you love Ella YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS CD!"

Hey - it's Ella!

Scott Hercher | Scranton, PA | 12/04/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"OK, none of Ella's greatest hits are here. OK, there are no great names on the bandstand with Ella. So what. The band is certainly capable, and Ella, as always, is delightful. Her voice is as sweet and soulful as ever, and you get a tremendous sense of her ability as an entertainer. Even when she forgets the words to a song, her musicianship shines as she scats and improvises her way out of the jam. If you've got some other recordings by her, you will want this one. If you don't, buy it anyway -- it will pique your interest. If you like great jazz singing, you cannot go wrong with a mature live performance by one of the greatest jazz singers -- and artists -- of all time."