We are told:
For the first time, all of Ella and Louis’s classic duets are in one place. This new, 4CD set gathers their timeless three Verve albums – newly remastered versions Ella and Louis, Ella and Louis Again and Porgy and Bess – combining them with their eight Decca singles (both sides of their four releases, recorded 1946 and 1950); live recordings from Jazz at the Hollywood Bowl, recorded as a warm-up for the Ella and Louis album; plus several alternates and false starts from the Decca and Verve eras, illuminating their craft and good humour, which were scattered on various releases in the past two decades.
Cheek To Cheek also includes unreleased material: “The Memphis Blues,” with Bing Crosby, from his radio show, and several takes of Armstrong’s solo showcase, “Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess,” and a rare instrumental mix for “Red-Headed Woman.”
The 4-CD collection includes an extensive essay by Ricky Riccardi, the world’s leading authority on Louis Armstrong, plus detailed annotations and rare images from the archives.
