It's fascinating to think that, were it not for a last-minute change of heart when she decided to sing rather than dance at the Apollo Theatre's Amateur Night on 21 November 1934, the world may never have got to hear one of the greatest jazz singers of all time: Ella Fitzgerald. Vocalist Patti Austin and drummer and producer Gregg Field team up with the Count Basie Orchestra (plus strings), under the direction of Scotty Barnhart, along with the Ella 100 All-Star Quartet (Shelly Berg, Nathan East, Brian Nova and Field) to present this moving tribute to an artist whom Mel Tormé called “the best singer on the planet”. Austin, who co-hosts with the actor and comedian David Alan Grier, presents crowd-pleasing takes on Ella's signature hit ‘A Tisket, A Tasket’ plus ‘When I Get Low, I Get High’. With a contemporary reboot of ‘Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me’, Grier shows that he's clearly no slouch in the vocal department. The stunning beauty and emotive power of Lizz Wright's interpretation of ‘The Nearness of You’ immediately called to mind the a cappella version she gave at her 2016 Cadogan Hall concert which I had the enormous pleasure of hearing less than three weeks after this Apollo Theatre show. Other standouts include ‘Lady Be Good’ by Ayo and the a cappella jazz ensemble Afro Blue, plus the blazing shout chorus of the Basie Orchestra's ‘Back To The Apple’, which provides an electrifying instrumental jolt.