Cake Walking Babies from Home - Louis Armstrong, Smith, Chris [Rhyth
Heebie Jeebies - Louis Armstrong, Atkins, Boyd
Potato Head Blues - Louis Armstrong, Armstrong, Louis
West End Blues - Louis Armstrong, King Oliver
Tight Like This - Louis Armstrong, Armstrong, Louis
Mahogany Hall Stomp - Louis Armstrong, Williams, Spencer
Ain't Misbehavin' - Louis Armstrong, Brooks, Harry
Black and Blue - Louis Armstrong, Brooks, Harry
St. Louis Blues - Louis Armstrong, Handy, W.C.
When It's Sleepy Time Down South - Louis Armstrong, Muse, Clarence
Blue Again - Louis Armstrong, Fields, Dorothy
Lazy River - Louis Armstrong, Arodin, Sidney
Chinatown, My Chinatown - Louis Armstrong, Jerome, William
Stardust - Louis Armstrong, Carmichael, Hoagy
Shadrack - Louis Armstrong, MacGimsey, Robert
I Double Dare You - Louis Armstrong, Eaton, Jimmy
When the Saints Go Marching In - Louis Armstrong, Black, James [Drums
Marie - Louis Armstrong, Berlin, Irving
Rockin' Chair - Louis Armstrong, Carmichael, Hoagy
Blueberry Hill - Louis Armstrong, Lewis, Al [1]
Mack the Knife - Louis Armstrong, Blitzstein, Marc
A Fine Romance - Louis Armstrong, Fields, Dorothy
Hello, Dolly! - Louis Armstrong, Herman, Jerry
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong, Douglas, George
For much of his life, Louis Armstrong was the embodiment of jazz for millions of people, both a great creative artist and a beloved popular entertainer. Whether playing trumpet or singing, adding his own definitive touch t... more »o a ballad or spearheading a hot New Orleans-style band, Armstrong was a uniquely compelling figure. It's hard to compress such a career into a single CD, but this one includes many of the milestones, reaching back to 1923 for "Chime Blues" with Armstrong playing in the band of his mentor, King Oliver. At the opposite end of Armstrong's life is 1967's "What a Wonderful World," which only became famous decades after it was recorded. In between are the creative peaks, including a good sampling of Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven bands from the late 1920s--the most influential of his recordings--and a superb small-group version of "Old Rockin' Chair" from 1947. Armstrong's 1931 version of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" retains its special luster seven decades later, and there's also a good selection of trademark hits from his later career, like "Mack the Knife" and "Hello, Dolly!" --Stuart Broomer« less
For much of his life, Louis Armstrong was the embodiment of jazz for millions of people, both a great creative artist and a beloved popular entertainer. Whether playing trumpet or singing, adding his own definitive touch to a ballad or spearheading a hot New Orleans-style band, Armstrong was a uniquely compelling figure. It's hard to compress such a career into a single CD, but this one includes many of the milestones, reaching back to 1923 for "Chime Blues" with Armstrong playing in the band of his mentor, King Oliver. At the opposite end of Armstrong's life is 1967's "What a Wonderful World," which only became famous decades after it was recorded. In between are the creative peaks, including a good sampling of Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven bands from the late 1920s--the most influential of his recordings--and a superb small-group version of "Old Rockin' Chair" from 1947. Armstrong's 1931 version of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" retains its special luster seven decades later, and there's also a good selection of trademark hits from his later career, like "Mack the Knife" and "Hello, Dolly!" --Stuart Broomer
Lee B. (showme) from PARK HILLS, MO Reviewed on 3/28/2011...
The REAL louis Armstrong! Fantastic compilation. Thank you, Ken Burns!
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
CD Reviews
You gotta love Satch
Kevin Berent | Lexington, SC USA | 02/24/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is for true Louis Armstrong lovers. There are A LOT of songs on here, and most of the ones in the beginning are OLD, scratchy recordings. That didn't bother me, but if you're looking for a simple "Best of" CD, this may not be the right one for you. I like jazz and and I like the CD, but check it out before you buy it to make sure it's really what you want."
The Best best-of You will ever Find
Robert G. Martinez | 07/18/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Ken Burns Jazz set is my introductionto jazz and I must say the single cd compilations are the best compilations I've ever seen. This one is no exception. It has the first recorded solo of Satch, the Bechet duet, the hot 5's and hot 7 recording, and some of the orchestra recordings from the 30's.
There is a little bit of a flaw in this though. There is nothing from the two cd's Louis Armstrong plays W.C. Handy or Satch plays Fats. That is Satchmo's later peak with the superb All-Stars. Yet this great cd makes up for it with one of my favorite tracks by the all-stars, the live recording of "Rockin' Chair" from 1947. Satchmo and Jack Teagarden's duet is priceless and the band just smokes it. The audience seemed to think so too, since there is an amazing ovation right when Satch's solo begins. That part never fails to give me goosbumps.
Another favorite is the superb Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra recording of "Black and Blue" from 1931. Fats Waller's immortal cry against segregation and discrimination is one of best in Satchmo's great repertoire. Satchmo's hilarious intoduction to "Chinatown, my Chinatown" never fails to get a laugh either.
This is the perfect intro to the perfect musician."
Essential! For beginners and old pros alike!
Robert G. Martinez | Brooksville FL | 07/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No CD will effectively cover a career of Louis Armstrong in only 25 cuts, but this one is as good as it gets. This is the essence of Armstrong. Every cut is outstanding. If you are new to collecting Armstrong, I recommend this highly. I own about a dozen Armstrong CD's including a couple box sets, and this one is my favorite because it spans his entire life with the best 25 cuts. It features some of his finest and creative trumpet playing especially in Potato Head Blues, Chinatown my Chinatown, When it's sleepy time down south, and the beautiful Black and Blue. There really isn't a bad cut here. Actually, the sound of his horn and his singing makes it impossible for Louis to ever have made a bad cut, but this one is a must for any library. Armstrong was an American folk hero and an icon. Once again, Ken Burns has done a suberb compilation. This CD is one of my top 10 favorites of all time! Louis was a creative genius, and his horn playing was one of the most beautiful and joyous things ever recorded."