Ella Fitzgerald was one of the great voices of the 20C. The BBC have shown a film about her life, here

Ella began singing in Harlem, and took the A Train, to get there, and sang at the famous Cotton Club. The club was famous for establishing the template for the modern jazz and dance club. The story of the Cotton Club has been told, on film, by Francis Ford Coppola.

The spirit of the club is Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers. Check out ucky Number and Jumpin Jive on youtube.

Here are links to a clip from Coppola’s film, and a wonderful version of the Duke’s, A Train, filmed on the train!

https://www.are.na/block/7275535

https://www.are.na/block/7275672

In the 1950s, Ella and her house-band, at Verve records, created the definitive account of the great American song-book

Here is a note, with links, to a previous post about Verve

BBC4TV have previously shown a wonderful film about the history of American tap, and about the jazz ambassadors…