4 Key Facts About the Oscar Peterson Quartet Backing Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

The Oscar Peterson Quartet provided the backing for the 1956 album Ella and Louis. The quartet consisted of Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums.

This was a rare collaboration between two jazz giants, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. The quartet’s role was to support their vocals with a tight, swinging rhythm section.

The album is considered a classic of vocal jazz. The quartet’s interplay with Fitzgerald and Armstrong helped define its relaxed, intimate sound.

The quartet’s lineup on this recording was a temporary supergroup. Buddy Rich, primarily a bandleader himself, joined Peterson’s regular trio for this session.