Remembering Ella

The great Ella Fitzgerald was born on this day in 1917. In her honor, I thought I'd share with you my favorite recording of hers. Be forewarned, it's not a happy song, but it's undeniably a beautiful one, and out of all the people who recorded this Cole Porter classic, Ella made it her own, the same way that Etta James made "At Last" her own. Unfortunately, it is not a performance video, so the accompanying pictures don't mean squat, but it shows off the sheer beauty of her vocal gifts. (We all know Ella could scat, but hell, so can Al Jarreau and a whole lot of other folks).

Happy birthday, Ella! And have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Don't forget to check out my interview with talented new novelist Lori Johnson below.