Two very good live performances: 1. ‘Opera House, Chicago’ 1957 with a superb quartet that includes Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Jo Jones and Ray Brown. 2. ‘Crescendo, Hollywood’, this recording from her May 1961 appearances generated one of the best (and certainly most underrated) live records in her discography. All of her hallmarks — technical wizardry, breakneck scatting, irrepressible humor and warmth — are on full display, with a small but expressive quartet backing her performance: Lou Levy, Herb Ellis, Gus Johnson & Wilfred Middlebrooks. Although it’s full of brilliance, the highlights are clear: a nine-minute scat masterpiece of “Take the ‘A’ Train,” with chorus after chorus of variations, “Mr. Paganini” along with a set-closing “Air Mail Special”.
