The 20 tracks that Ella Fitzgerald recorded with pianist Ellis Larkins in 1950 and 1954 are arguably the best duets that she ever made in her long career. Eight Gershwin songs from one album and 11 standards from the In a Mellow Mood collection, both originally on Decca, show perfect, almost telepathic communication between singer and accompanist. Larkins was no ordinary pianist. His focus at the keyboard, and his dislike of any interruption while playing made him something of the Keith Jarrett of his day, and like Jarrett, he could find chord progressions or passing harmonies that enriched everything he played, often adding harmonic nuance and changing voicings as he moved from one chorus to the next. Ella’s quick ear, intuitive understanding of lyrics and instantaneous reaction to the most subtle inflection of accompaniment made her Larkins’ ideal partner, and these tracks repay repeated listening for the profound investigation they bring to each song. A perfect example is ‘Until the Real Thing Comes Along’, where the piano part is a gentle stream of continuous invention, yet never losing sight of the tempo and atmosphere of the song, with Ella constantly making tiny modifications to fit the shifting harmonies. Great as the more pianistic Oscar Peterson and the more straightforward Paul Smith are, their second CD here (with four makeweight duo tracks with Barney Kessel) does not get close to the artistry of the Larkins duets. The sister album of Ella’s live broadcasts is a contrast to the high art achieved in the recording studio, so we hear her in a club setting during the same period as the Larkins duets. The repertoire is somewhat hackneyed, several songs turn up many times, and there are overdoses of oobly-doo scat singing, and yet, suddenly she turns up a delight such as an unexpected detour into Billie Holiday territory with a splendid ‘Back In Your Own Backyard’. Hank Jones demonstrates why he was her preferred live accompanist in the early 1950s, consistently efficient and swinging, and in top form with Ray Brown and Charlie Smith. Overall, the Birdland broadcasts are great to have as a document of her day-to-day work, but the duets are a gem to be treasured.