That Swingin' Sound

The Musical Friendship of

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Beach Lane Books

(Simon & Schuster)

(pub. 10.14.2025)

48 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Rekha S. Rajan

   Illustrator: Ken Daley

Characters: Ella Fitzgerald

and Louis Armstrong

Overview:

" Ella Fitzgerald loved to dance. When little Ella heard jazz music, the music notes moved her legs as she twirled around New York City. Way down south, Louis Armstrong loved to sing. When jazz music played, young Louis’s voice rumbled like a steam train in New Orleans. While Ella dreamed of dancing on stage and Louis of being a famous singer, it wasn’t until they switched things up that they became famous, Ella for singing and Louis playing the trumpet.

The two jazz musicians had heard of each other, but never had a chance to meet. Until one magical night when they took the stage together, the music started to swing, and a lifelong musical friendship was born."

Tantalizing taste:

"When Ella tossed a note with her voice, Louis grabbed it back with his trumpet.

The music would push and pull, push and pull.

Until the music note started to swing.…

Ella's voice told stories as Louis's music painted pictures. Ella loved singing solo, and Louis loved playing alone with his trumpet, but making music together felt just right.

Today, if you ride a train up to Harlem, New York, you'll feel the tracks snapping and swaying, just like Ella's voice.

When you ride a riverboat in New Orleans, Louisiana , you'll hear the wind carrying the toot-toot-toot of Louis's horn.

But no matter where you are, when you feel the melody jump - then glide down; when you hear the notes leap off the scale only to find their way back home again: that's the sound of Ella and Louis's music playing on."

And something more: Rekha S. Rajan shared in the Author's Note: "Ella and Louis... both rose to fame in the early 1900s in America, before the civil rights movement, when people were still separated because of their skin color. When Black people were not allowed to sing on certain stages... Eventually, though, when Ella and Louis made music, everyone came to listen... Ella and Louis sang together, danced together, and captivated audiences together, creating a new sound and new friendship."