Most live Ella, at least after her big-band days, found her in front of a trio or quartet, with the occasional addition of horns being normally restricted to the jam-session finales of Jazz At The Philharmonic concerts. This recording, retrieved posthumously from producer Norman Granz’s personal files, is unusual in featuring her in front of a large orchestra for the purpose of promoting her latest ‘songbook”’, recorded in the studio five months earlier (but, if complete, this concert presents only 15 numbers out of 30-odd on the original double-LP). Doubtless anything by Ella will find an audience, and there are some fine moments in her contributions here.

But, equally, there are occasional lapses which would never have been preserved at a studio session. Arranger Weston, whose CV goes back to the 1930s Tommy Dorsey band, backs the singer with standard big-band stuff plus strings and harp but, while streets ahead of Buddy Bregman, falls somewhat short of, say, Nelson Riddle. A tiny number of instrumental solos (including two by a muted trumpet which is surely not Harry Edison, who was briefly present on the studio album) are off-mic and the ensemble is not always that tight. And, though doubtless the sound quality has been improved, it’s not as impressive as you’d hope.