Rediscovered: Ella Fitzgerald's Lost 1967 Oakland Concert Finally Sees the Light

Rediscovered: Ella Fitzgerald's Lost 1967 Oakland Concert Finally Sees the Light

By Marcus Bennett

February 28, 2025 at 11:09 PM

A historic live concert recording of Ella Fitzgerald, performed at the Oakland Coliseum on June 30, 1967, has been discovered in Norman Granz's private tape collection and released by Verve Records.

Ella Fitzgerald performing Oakland 1967

Ella Fitzgerald performing Oakland 1967

The newly released album, "The Moment of Truth: Ella at the Coliseum," features nine tracks mixed and mastered from original analog multi-track tapes, delivering exceptional audio quality rare for that era. The performance captures Fitzgerald at a pivotal moment, during her successful three-year collaboration with Duke Ellington.

The recording showcases Fitzgerald's versatility, including her first-ever recorded versions of late '60s pop hits "Alfie" and "Music to Watch Girls By." She performs alongside an elite backing band featuring members of The Duke Ellington Orchestra, including legendary musicians Cat Anderson, Cootie Williams, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges, plus the rhythm section of Jimmy Jones, Bob Cranshaw, and Sam Woodyard.

Complete Tracklist:

  • "The Moment of Truth" (2:52)
  • "Don't Be That Way" (4:33)
  • "You've Changed" (4:37)
  • "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)" (4:43)
  • "Bye Bye Blackbird" (5:02)
  • "Alfie" (5:43)
  • "In a Mellow Tone" (4:41)
  • "Music To Watch Girls By" (3:56)
  • "Mack The Knife" (4:53)

The performance captures both Fitzgerald's remarkable vocal abilities and her engaging stage presence, as she alternates between powerful musical moments and playful interactions with the audience.

MTV Unplugged performance stage setup

MTV Unplugged performance stage setup

Man recording music in studio

Man recording music in studio

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