Search - Louis Armstrong :: C'est Si Bon

Performance, 5 -- Editing, 2

08/25/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The song combination is to die for: there's a nice mix of pop and dixieland hits attributed to the man. But trouble soon began for me when the recording editor snipped out the final A and the solo section of the first tune, "A Kiss to Build a Dream On". Whoa! What was that all about?!!! After listing to the whole record I was utterly disappointed: for the performance, I gave it a 5 but I gave the editing a miserable 2 or 1.On the plus side, this record highlights 30 years of Louis and his all star/big band with a surprise appearance of Ella Fitzgerald on "Dream a Little Dream of Me." The negative side here is not in the quality of the source tapes but in the precociousness of the recording editor. Along with the hachet job done on "Kiss," the editor chose to feature a minute or so of three other songs before fading them out into nothingness. Apparently, he wanted us to hear a summary rather than a survey of Louis's live legacy. (CUSTOMER TO EDITOR: Let the music play on a little while!) To C'est Si Bon's credit, the few minutes the editor allows us to hear are purely vintage Satchmo. Most of the performances feature Satch in his waning years, but Armstrong still manages to surprise and entertain. I'll keep this to round out my collection, but I'd probably look elsewhere for more satisfying performances of Dippermouth. If you DO buy this product, cherish the man's genius--listen hard, before the editor pulls you away with more irritating "fade outs.""

More Satchmo!!

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 09/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gravelly bass voiced trumpet virtuoso Louis Armstrong is a legend and this CD, a mere scratch at the surface of his immense collection of music, is a wonderful addition to any collection.



Containing (to me) the best version ever of the swinging `Mack the knife' (a #20 pop hit), `Hello Dolly' (a #1 pop hit and Grammy winner for best male vocal pop performance in 1964), the sober `Blueberry hill' (#29), as well as gems like the title track, the delicate `Dream a little dream of me' featuring the wonderful Ella Fitzgerald and her clear-as-glass delivery, `Kiss to build a dream on', `On the sunny side of the street', and the marching `When the saints go marching in'.



I hadn't heard quite a number of tracks featured here, not the usual fare on a Louis Armstrong collection, (no `Wonderful world' which you should already have somewhere anyway!) making it a pleasant change.



This CD has great liner notes too on the great man.

"

Track list for C'Est Si Bon

R. Gaspard | Florida | 11/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"1. A Kiss To Build A Dream On

2. Mack the Knife

3. Hello Dolly

4. Jeepers Creepers

5. Ain't Misbehavin'

6. Dream a Little Dream of Me

7. On the Sunny Side of the Street

8. C'est Si Bon

9. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

10. Blueberry Hill

11. High Society

12. That's My Desire

13. St. Louis Blues

14. When the Saints Go Marchin' In

15. King Porter Stomp

16. Tiger Rag"