ella fitzgerald

[sadie]

oh, man! she's one of my ultimate favorites! even my ry-guy knows all the words to her "old mother hubbard." he used to do a little doggy thingy when it got to the "find me a bone" part. :P

one of my favorite recordings (so far) is a live set from the savoy ballroom in harlem. i think it's in the late '30s when she was playing with chick webb. another favorite is the "mack the knife" she recorded live at some time when she totally made up all the words but the first verse.

her volume of recorded music is astounding. and she was an amazing woman. she had to have her legs amputated from diabetes complications, and still sang afterward, though not very much before she died.