Narrated by Tony Bennett and originally shown as part of PBS's American Masters series, Zwerin's film uses the lush voice and superb repertoire of the "Frist Lady of Song" to provide continuity while assembling viographical details and artistic evaluation gleaned from interviews with such colleagues as André Previn, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra. These, along with archival footage of early performances and later television appearances, capture Ella's pilgrimage from Depression-ear New York to her discovery at the Apollo Theaer, her subsequent emergence as a swing vocalist, and her long career as a matchless pop and jazz stylist.