Jazz Valentine for Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald, honored at a benefit concert for the American Heart Assn., had some surprises in store for herself--and for her audience.

She was surprised when Quincy Jones and Oscar Peterson, who hadn’t been announced as being part of the concert, showed up and took part.

But the Monday night audience got the best surprise when, near the end of four hours, the 71-year-old Fitzgerald, who had been seated in Avery Fisher Hall, was escorted to the stage. They expected a brief thank-you, but, instead, Fitzgerald began singing “Honeysuckle Rose.”

She sang “Lady Be Good,” inserting in the lyrics a call for Joe Williams to join her. He motioned for Clark Terry to step out from the trumpet section, and the three traded scat phrases till minutes to midnight.

The “Hearts for Ella” band, led by Benny Carter, was alone enough to delight a jazz fan. It included Stan Getz, Phil Woods, David Sanborn, James Moody, Jon Faddis, Red Rodney, Al Grey, Hank Jones, Ray Brown and Louis Bellson. One of its gems was “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” Quincy Jones conducted his “Stockholm Sweetenin’.”

Classical violinist Itzhak Perlman provided several of the evening’s high points. He and Bobby McFerrin did a swinging “Blue Skies.”

After pianist Peterson played “Who Can I Turn To?”, he and Perlman dueted on a ravishing “Summertime.” The band, Peterson and Perlman played “Stormy Weather,” after which Carter summed up, “It don’t get much better than that.”

The New York Heart Assn. intends to establish the Ella Fitzgerald Research Fellowship with money raised at the benefit.