Longtime friends Ellen Winters and Johnny Rodgers will combine their vocal talents to share the music of Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme for “Ella Meets Mel” Dec. 17 at the Skokie Theatre. They will be performing a number of duets as well as solo numbers. “It’s jam-packed with a lot of quality music,” Winters said of the program.
Selections will include “The Trolley Song,” jazz standards, and a medley of songs from the Garry Moore show, where Fitzgerald and Torme first met in the 1950s. That medley includes, “I Hear Music,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Someone Like You,” and “Lady Be Good.” They will close the show with “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).”
Rodgers particularly enjoys the opportunity to do duets like the ones in the show where there’s a lot of improvisation, “and doing it with someone who enjoys it as much as Ellen does,” he said.
Winters will solo on “How High the Moon” and “A Tisket A Tasket.”
Rodgers will solo on “The Best Things in Life are Free” and “Lullaby of Birdland.”
The duo will be accompanied by a Milwaukee trio consisting of Sam Steffke (music director and piano), Hal Miller (bass), and Tim Ryan (drums). Both performers are Wisconsin residents — Winters lives in Milwaukee and Rodgers in Waukesha.
Rodgers will play piano for a couple of selections, “The Best Things in Life are Free” and “Christmas Time is Here.”
In addition to singing, the performers will tell stories about the two icons.
“We talk about the fact that Ella started out wanting to be a dancer,” Winters said. “She was at ‘Live at the Apollo’ for Amateur Night and was about to go on after this set of sisters that did a bang-up dance performance. She scratched off her dance number and said, ‘I’m going to sing something.'” Fitzgerald won the competition.
Both singers think that Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme make a perfect combination for a show.
“Ella Fitzgerald was Mel Torme’s kind of hero and mentor,” Winters said.
“I’ve been a fan of Mel Torme since my college days,” Rodgers said. “I fell in love with his music when I started studying jazz.”
Rodgers had an opportunity to work with Torme when he was attending his fourth college, Western Michigan University, where he graduated with a jazz degree in vocal and piano.
“He came to the college and he sang with the 16-voice vocal ensemble I was a part of,” Rodgers said. “I offered to be his chauffeur and take him and his band around. I got to spend more time with him, which was an amazing experience.” Winters and Rodgers first met around 30 years ago. “One year, we were both at Western Michigan University at the same time,” Winters said.
“We stayed in touch over the years.” About 10 years ago, Winters took some of her vocal students from Columbia College Chicago to Davenport’s in Chicago where Rodgers was playing, so they could sing accompanied by him in preparation for their juried performances.
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Winters recalled that Rodgers said, “It’s been years since I heard you sing. Will you come up and do something?” She sang one number and then the two of them did a duet which went so well that they decided to do a show together.
“That’s how ‘Ella Meets Mel’ was born,” Winters said. Rodgers was happy to join Winters in this project because, he said, “Ellen has always been an amazing talent.” So has Rodgers, a multi-award-winning performer whose numerous accolades include touring around the world for the State Department, performing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and serving as Liza Minnelli’s longtime music director and pianist.
They decided that “Ella Meets Mel” would be a tribute show — they aren’t trying to imitate the two icons.
Rodgers and Winters began performing the show in 2014, and have performed it a number of times — which pleases both of them.
“I enjoy getting to make incredible music with four really good friends,” Winters said of Rodgers and the trio.
“It’s a joy to make music with her,” Rodgers said. “She’s got an amazing instrument.”
‘Ella Meets Mel’
When: 8 p.m. Dec. 17
Where: Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie
Tickets: $30
Information: 847-677-7761; skokietheatre.org
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.