Louis Armstrong music

December 3, 2006 6:13 PM

Help me expand my paltry collection of Louis Armstrong. I have "King Oliver," "Satch Blows the Blues" and the 20th Century Masters "The Best of Louis Armstrong" (and perhaps a few other in the same vein which I cannot locate due to the general disarray in which I store music). However enticing this stuff is, it all represents sort of the big hits stuff. I would like to find some of the more obscure and personable stuff. I just saw this amazing clip at http://www.oxfordamericanmag.com/webextras.cfm. Is there similar stuff on disc with Louis in his prime?
posted by caddis to media & arts (12 comments total)

This is what you're looking for.
posted by Dasein at 6:27 PM on December 3, 2006

Unbelievable. I was just reading that article in the music edition of OA! And Dasein's right. Hot Fives and Sevens is what you want.
posted by trip and a half at 6:29 PM on December 3, 2006

Dang, beaten to the bunch. Well, I guess I'll third The Complete Hot Fives and Sevens.
posted by box at 6:58 PM on December 3, 2006

Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy, from 1954. Just awesome.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:01 PM on December 3, 2006

4thing the Hot Fives and Sevens. Timeless stuff that you will never tire of. And Dasein links to an excellent, low-cost box set that I have gotten much pleasure out of.

I'd also strongly recommend Satch Plays Fats, as well as the concert recording released under the name Mack the Knife. Outstanding.

Also, if you've considered getting an emusic.com membership, they've got an excellent Armstrong collection, lot of interesting stuff there ...
posted by jbickers at 7:13 PM on December 3, 2006

I agree that the records Armstrong made with the Hot Five and the Hot Seven are fantastic. I'd also recommend something like West End Blues 1926-1933. It's more refined and less spontaneous than the earlier work, but still great. Compare "West End Blues " from that album to the same song on "Swing That Music" from 1938 to get an idea of whether you like the Big Band influence. IMHO, with traditional jazz, earlier is generally better. (I hope you're able to listen to the snippets available on Amazon's site.)
posted by wryly at 7:16 PM on December 3, 2006

My favorite is Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, "The Complete Sessions" ... absolutely amazing disc.
posted by SpecialK at 7:22 PM on December 3, 2006

The well-known Ken Burns Jazz documentary series, which explored the history and especially origins of jazz, regarded Louis Armstrong as the founding father of modern jazz and thus spent a considerable amount of time on him. That would be a great source to learn more about him and hear more of his music. In fact they have a special biography page for him, and a discography page of music they talk about in the film, and a compilation CD for sale.

In fact some jazz fans thought the series went overboard with its deification of Armstrong at the expense of some other visionaries who didn't get nearly as much coverage. I heard the following quip while the series was being aired:
"New Orleans, Lousiana, 1957. Louis Armstrong, at home after eating a bean burrito, farts loudly. Music would never be the same again..."
posted by PercussivePaul at 9:55 PM on December 3, 2006

Great recommendations! The Hot 5/7 is definitely the place to start, some of the greatest jazz ever recorded, but the early-'30s stuff is magnificent too.

That Ken Burns series was indispensible and annoying; it's hard to go overboard on Louis, though they tried, but it's definitely possible to go overboard on Wynton Marsalis, and they succeeded at that. (See our Marsalis discussion, which turned into a great jazzfest, here.)
posted by languagehat at 5:49 AM on December 4, 2006

Thanks all, I've got some listening to do.
posted by caddis at 9:08 AM on December 4, 2006

This is the version to got of the Complete Hot Fives and Hot Sevens. It has a big book, full of pictures and excellent text. This issue won the Pulitzer Prize the year it came out, and the sound is amazing. Armstrong's trumpet sails through the primitive acoustic recording process, and it's as if he was right in the room with you. (When you open it, immediately put the CDs in plastic holders, since the holders in the book are held together with rubber cement that transfers off on to the CDs.)

I think he was the greatest musician of the 20th century. As Wynton Marsalis says (I think in the Burns series) he never made a bad record, or played or sang a bad note. At the end of his life, when he couldn't play and could barely sing, he would insert single, perfect notes that showed that he still had it.

You should definitely get the two CDs he made with Ella Fitzgerald, where two great musicians work off one another perfectly.
posted by KRS at 5:07 PM on December 4, 2006

This is the version to got of the Complete Hot Fives and Hot Sevens.

There is much debate about this. Some people prefer the Columbia to the JSP (which I have and am happy with); some think it's much of a muchness. What can be said with confidence is that the Columbia set costs a hell of a lot more. If you want to pay the premium for a fancier package, that's up to you, but I say if you can you should listen to both (library?) and decide if you prefer one or the other. They're both excellent remasterings.
posted by languagehat at 5:32 PM on December 4, 2006