ESSENCE: THE TELEVISION PROGRAM: ELLA ON ELLA: A PERSONAL PORTRAIT (TV)
Summary
One in this series of television magazines, developed from the African-American women's publication, and hosted by Essence editor-in-chief Susan L. Taylor. This edition features a portrait of legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald consisting of clips of performances from throughout her career, along with excerpts of interviews with Fitzgerald, her friends, and music professionals. Fitzgerald describes her first exposure to performing at the age of fourteen, in amateur contests at the Apollo Theater and the Harlem Opera House, as well as the beginning of her singing career with the Chick Webb Orchestra in 1934. Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones discuss the birth of the be-bop era and Fitzgerald's natural talent in this musical genre; and Fitzgerald reminisces about working with musicians such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. Jazz critic Leonard Feather explains the importance of Fitzgerald's songbook album series of the great American songwriters such as Cole Porter and Duke Ellington. Fitzgerald also discusses her personal life, and the reasons for her longevity as a musical artist. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: April 26, 1986 10:00 AM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:22:41
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:08316
- GENRE: Magazine
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American; Biography; Blacks in the performing arts; Jazz; African-American Collection - Music
- SERIES RUN: Syndicated - TV series, 1984-1988
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Susan L. Taylor … Executive Producer, Host
- Gene A. Davis … Supervising Producer, Researcher
- Angela Thame … Producer
- Susan Robeson … Producer, Writer
- Lynn Redmond Sherriffe … Co-Producer
- Deborah Edwards … Field Producer
- R. Renee Harriston … Field Producer
- Linda Howard … Director
- Sharon Y. Lopez … Researcher, Writer
- Joy Thomas Moore … Writer
- Michael Randall … Theme Music by
- Ed Williams … Announcer
- Ella Fitzgerald … Guest
- Louis Armstrong
- Basie, William "Count"
- Ellington, Edward Kennedy "Duke"
- Leonard Feather
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Quincy Jones
- Cole Porter
- Chick Webb