"Ella is truly one of the masters of jazz. Her comforting sounds compliment almost any mood or situation. Ella and Friends is a great introduction to her duets with Verve from 1944 - 1951, still the early years of Ella. Her voice is still very young and very feminine, without the earthy richness she acquires in later years. While the tracks with Louis Armstrong are classics, the others are more hit and miss. Other classic Ella includes anything with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song, and the songbooks."