Tribute Does Justice to Ella Fitzgerald

by Mike Joyce

Tuesday, April 4, 2006

You can't go wrong by kicking off Jazz Appreciation Month with a salute to Ella Fitzgerald -- unless, of course, you miscast the principal role. The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra avoided that pitfall by recruiting vocalist Delores King Williams for its performance at the National Museum of American History's Carmichael Auditorium on Sunday night.



Williams may have a gift for mimicry, but she clearly had no intention of imitating Fitzgerald's nonpareil artistry. Not that there weren't occasional reminders of Fitzgerald's trademark effervescence and flawless scat, especially when Williams thoroughly refreshed "Swing It, Mr. Paganini." But, from the outset, Williams imbued her performances with her own personality and interpretative finesse. Most of the tunes were drawn from Fitzgerald's classic songbook collections, neatly arranged by Chris Madsen for a seven-piece ensemble. And thanks to some lesser-known ballads -- "A Ship Without a Sail," for example -- the concert offered listeners more than just usual hit parade of standards.

Under the direction of Loren Schoenberg, the ensemble compensated for the absence of a full horn section by showcasing the group in a variety of settings. At one point, the spontaneous pairing of bassist James King and drummer Ken Kimery produced an evocative 12-bar blues tribute to Keter Betts, Fitzgerald's late bassist and friend. Another delightful duet found Williams and trombonist-vocalist Eric Felten conjuring Fitzgerald's chummy collaborations with Louis Armstrong via "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." Other performances were enlivened or soulfully shaded by Schoenberg, on alto sax, trumpeter Tom Williams, baritone saxophonist Scott Silbert and pianist Robert Redd.