6. Tea for two, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Quincy Jones, Archysax.net

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Recorded in july 15–16, 1963, at Studio, A & R in New York, produced by Norman Granz ,
it is the first of the two studio recording session bringing together Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie's big band, all arrangements from Quincy Jones, the second one was made in February 15, 1979 on an album called "A classy pair", music from the pen of Benny Carter's arrangements.
You may read that "One o'clock jump" is the first album with Ella and Basie, but Ella appears on one track only, "Too close for comfort", which cannot represent an "album" with the two Jazz legends.
Here is a true master piece in 13 songs , arranged by Quincy Jones, fantascic as per usual (some liner notes add Benny Carter as second arranger, but I didn't find about what song).
We are are the end of the "Atomic band" of Basie, an exceptional period in terms of perfection of Jazz execution. The musicians are as great as before, but it takes time to get a perfect fit.
Thad Jones has gone, as lead tpt Snooky Young, as Billy Mitchell and Budd Jonhson after him on tenor 1, as unique big band bass player Eddie Jones, as Al Grey.
Most songs are very popular, all Jazz standards, perhaps excepted "My last affair" and "Into each life some rain must fall".
Two titles in small band : "Them there eyes" (easily adaptable for big band) an "Dream a little dream on me".

On that sixth arrangement, "Tea for two", on medium tempo, the skill of Quincy was necessary to transform a Jazz standart "30's years" very marked and dated, a song was never played by young musicians after the war, despite the fact that the harmonic structure is wuite rich and original.
So the intro sets the tone, with saxes section and brass section playing very dense and modern voicings that not really indicates what will follow..
Ella sings (perfectly..) one chorus theme with wonderfull response from horns tutti.
Then a pure Quincy eight bars fantastic modern melodic brass unis with highly densed saxes tutti backgrounds (a form that we will find again with teh "Thad Jones - Mel Lewis orchestra a few years later). Follows a eight bars Count Basie, before a muted trumpet solo with (once more) wonderfull horns backgrounds.
The singer is back with the band in response for a secons full theme, then a coda, short and , as the rest, efficient.
In my eyes, the best arrangement and version of that very nice standart.

Arrangement transcibded by Pascal Thouvenin, for more details, Archysax.net.