"Wonderful CD! All his greatest and most popular songs are here, concentrated on one single CD, which is a truely great performance. There is nothing to be said about the music. Everybody knows it, dreams it... It is just divine. A maximum note for Crimson Records: it is definitively the best representation of Satchmo's legacy I have ever listen to. 5 x 5 stars for this. 23 songs that are now 20th century culture."
Pure sunshine
pspa | Boston, MA USA | 04/29/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are innumerable Louis Armstrong compilations out there, but this one is well worth owning particularly if your tastes run more to popular music than to pure jazz. This is Louis at his melodic best, putting his own stamp on familiar numbers, with both his horn and his voice radiating warmth and humanity. It's impossible to feel blue listening to this CD. There isn't a weak song here, and many are timeless classics. By the way for people who want to explore the jazz side of Louis. I cannot recommend highly enough "Plays W.C. Handy" and "The Great Reunion" with Duke Ellington."
Louis Armstrong - the true jazz artist
Vadim Diaconescu | 04/13/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm only 15 years old and I know good music when I hear it, so while all of my peers are listening to rap and rock I'm listening to my new friend Louis Armstrong. Even though he's not longer alive I believe that his music keeps him alive in a sense because everyone can still see what kind of an impact he had on the world with his music and his fantastic voice. I hope everyone out there realizes what great music this is."
The Best of The Best
Richard C. Katz | Scottsdale, AZ USA | 04/29/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nothing new I can say about Mr. Armstrong, but get this (bargin of a) CD even if you don't normally listen to jazz or Louis. I've listen to this CD so often that it inevitably got scratched and I had to buy a second copy. Do you think you know songs like, "On the Sunny Side of the Street"? You don't until you hear a younger Louis Armstrong sing and scat the subtext, bracketed on each end by first a economic, then an emotional solo. An interesting bonus is, "Sweet Georgia Brown", played by Edmund Hall, Louis' long-time clarinetist -- I never thought I'd willingly listen to that chestnut again, but Hall is unbelieveably good -- I didn't think a clarinet reed could stand contortions like that! The only song I miss from this collection is "Got A Lot of Living To Do", the B-side of the "Hello, Dolly" single. Otherwise, this is my favorite "Best of" CD of my favorite musician. Do your heart and head a favor and get it!"