Patti Austin Trio - AVO Session - Live at Basel, Switzerland - 2007

It takes an immense amount of courage to pay tribute to a legend, universally acknowledged as one of the greatest vocalists in contemporary music. And when we’re talking jazz and the singer is the late and much-loved Ella Fitzgerald, it takes a special kind of artist, one who has the instinct, the timing and the talent. Patti Austin has this…and so much more. A milestone in a career filled with accomplishment and achievement, Patti’s superb testament to the first lady of song – is even more amazing in that it was recorded live. No studio tricks or gimmicks but rather in the tradition of Ella herself, a complete performance in front of a live audience. Patti spent two months listening intently to Ella’s catalog and was instantly reminded of the singer’s sheer artistry.

Given her early foundation – as the goddaughter of musical legends Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington – it’s no surprise that Patti has been able to explore almost every genre of music through a career that spans over three decades. The New York-born singer first hit the stage with Washington at the tender age of four, debuting at the world-famous Apollo Theater in Harlem and she vividly recalls seeing Ella and other legendary performers such as Sarah Vaughan and Lena Horne at the famous venue.

A recording artist in her teens, Patti recorded for labels like Decca/Coral, RCA and United Artists and her hard-to-find recordings remain much revered by soul music collectors, particularly in Europe and Japan. After numerous television appearances, more solo recordings and a three-year international tour as a headlining club singer, Patti returned to New York and began applying her vocal skills to the lucrative studio world by doing background vocal sessions and jingles. It wasn’t long before Patti became known as the undisputed “queen” of the New York jingle and session scene. Her voice has been heard on literally hundreds of commercials, behind everyone from Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and Joe Cocker to Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Luther Vandross and Diana Ross.

With this live DVD performances in AVO Session , Patti Austin can look at her latest accomplishment with much justifiable pride – it is a remarkable achievement, a landmark in an incredible career, a further testament to Patti’s status as a member of that rare breed: a true artist whose creativity knows no limits. An hour of standard jazz music from her latest Trio.