Stella Sings Ella: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald: Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2025

“Stella Bass is a storyteller.” So wrote Los Angeles’ Musical Memoirs, and at this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival she tells the story of the greatest jazz singer of them all: Ella Fitzgerald.

Hailed by Jazziz magazine as “one of Ireland’s leading vocal jazz talents,” Stella has been interpreting the Great American Songbook for nearly 20 years. Her 2024 album Look for the Silver Lining was Grammy-longlisted, cementing her reputation as one of Ireland’s finest jazz voices.

For this programme of Ella’s signature songs as well as anecdotes and stories about her life – of course, Ella performed at Cork Jazz in 1980 – she’s joined by her powerhouse trio of Johnny Taylor (piano), Barry Donohue (double bass), and Dominic Mullan (drums). They’re fresh from a sold-out Stella Sings Ella show at Dublin’s National Concert Hall, so early booking is strongly advised.

Ella Fitzgerald is probably the most beloved jazz singer of all time, with hits like ‘Manhattan’, ‘Summertime’, ‘Bewitched’ and ‘Lady is a Tramp’.

Amassing 13 Grammy Awards and 40 million albums sales over an astounding 60-plus year career, Ella could effortlessly cross over between sultry ballads, intricate jazz arrangements and light pop tunes, and could imitate any instrument of the orchestra. Born in 1917, Ella worked with all the greats including Ellington, Basie, Sinatra, Gillespie, Armstrong (or perhaps we should say they worked with her!) and she packed out venues worldwide during her career, including Dublin’s Adelphi Theatre in 1964 and the Cork Jazz Festival in 1980.

Her greatest legacy is probably the Songbook Series, recorded between 1956 and 1981, considered a cornerstone of 20th century recorded popular music, representing some of the finest interpretations of the greater part of the musical canon known as the Great American Songbook.

Ella Fitzgerald is probably the most beloved jazz singer of all time, with hits like ‘Manhattan’, ‘Summertime’, ‘Bewitched’ and ‘Lady is a Tramp’.

Amassing 13 Grammy Awards and 40 million albums sales over an astounding 60-plus year career, Ella could effortlessly cross over between sultry ballads, intricate jazz arrangements and light pop tunes, and could imitate any instrument of the orchestra. Born in 1917, Ella worked with all the greats including Ellington, Basie, Sinatra, Gillespie, Armstrong (or perhaps we should say they worked with her!) and she packed out venues worldwide during her career, including Dublin’s Adelphi Theatre in 1964 and the Cork Jazz Festival in 1982. Her greatest legacy is probably the Songbook Series, recorded between 1956 and 1981, considered a cornerstone of 20th century recorded popular music, representing some of the finest interpretations of the greater part of the musical canon known as the Great American Songbook.

“…a relatively newer jazz artist playing with classic repertoire, keeping some of that old magic while mixing in some new.” –  Spectrum Culture (USA)

“A great sense of clarity in her enunciation and a relaxed sense of timing.” – Jazz Weekly (USA)

“Stella Bass is a storyteller”– Musical Memoirs (USA)

“Oh, so very impressive classic mainstream-jazz vocals here from Dublin jazz singer Stella Bass” – Marlbank Jazz (Irl)

“…it would be hard to pick out Bass’ originals from those by Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin et al. She should not wait for the next pandemic before reaching for pen and blank paper.” – All About Jazz (UK), Feb 2024