Ella Fitzgerald will always be synonymous with the American songbook. Her hornlike phrasing, perfect articulation, wide range of tone colors, and exuberant sense of swing remain the cornerstone of the improvising vocalist's art. And while this golden nugget from the Ella archives is not nearly as intense as the legendary Ella in Rome, the 1970 live recording nonetheless finds her at the peak of her powers--playful, full of fun, and eager to please, with a witty mixture of chestnuts and "now" sounds fresh off the charts. In some cases, such as the Blood, Sweat & Tears hit "Spinning Wheel," the sense of ease with which Ella and the trio navigate these funky changes serves to reveal what a slight thing this "song" always was. But on the medley "This Guy's in Love with You/"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," she and her stellar band (featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano, Fran De la Rosa on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums) unearth telling harmonic and melodic connections between different generations of songwriters, while on "People" Ella reaches down exceptionally deep and reveals something of herself and her sense of longing for... people and their applause. Looking for another roof-tearing highlight? Try the reading of "Mack the Knife" found here, in which our heroine modulates through keys and weaves together a witty web of high-wire asides with all the harmonic and rhythmic daring of an Art Tatum. --Chip Stern