Of the 2 CD's One is now superseded by The California Concer
Original Mixed Up-Kid | New York United States | 01/03/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"was curious being happy with this labels other issues as to quality and sound..the label says official takes so I was somewhat surprised not knowing that this Disc 2 was the Decca live performance of Armstrong in California,Pasedena 1951...prior released by Decca (and now found in it's full expression as a disc and half on the 4 cd set The California Concerts).
In any event the 12 dollars I paid for a brand new copy of this CD is still worthwhile (considering the 24 bit sound) and while the order of the live portion duplicates the earlier Decca release,it is still a good listen..The "treasure" is the first CD with Earl Hines and Jack Teagarden,Barney Bigard,Arvell Shaw,and Cozy Cole..these studio sides are great and this import label did a great job in bringing Satchmo's total Decca output out in quality.
The notes also point out that included here is "The New Orleans function" which was on the 4 LP box set, Satchmo...A Musical Autobiography..
Disc one deserves 5 stars.
"
Pure joy -- authentic jazz voices
J. Connelly | Boston, MA USA | 01/27/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The cast of characters is small, but the result is all the grander for it. During the '50s, so many great jazz musicians allowed themselves to be talked into larded-up recordings with string orchestras and overblown arrangements. With a small group, like the All Stars, there's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, if you're not carrying your musical weight. And carry their weight they do on this record of some of the best musicians American jazz has produced. But what would you expect from a teaming of Armstrong with the likes of Shaw, Bigard, Hines, Cole, and Teagarden. "Oh Didn't He Ramble" by itself is worth the price of the two-disc set -- but there's so much more. There's art and accumulated authentic experience here, but also a deep happiness in the way these musicians engage their songs and each other. While the tracks reward close, listening attention, they also make a great background to reading Terry Teachout's fine bio of Satchmo, "Pops"."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
