LOUIS ARMSTRONG - Louis Armstrong at The Crescendo 1955
Complete Edition
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55657
3 CD Set
Tracks 1 to 18 CD1, 1 to 18 CD2 & 1 tto 5 CD3
Louis Armstrong & his All Stars
Louis Armstrong ( tpt / vocal ) Trummy Young ( tmb / vocal ) Barney Bigard ( clt ) Billy Kyle ( pno ) Arvell Shaw ( bass ) Barrett Deems ( drs ) Velma Middleton ( vocals )
Recorded live at The Crescendo Club, Los Angeles, 21 January 1955
Bonus tracks 6 to 20 CD 3
Same personnel as previous but recorded , NBC broadcast from the Basin Street Club, New York, August & September 1954Bonus tracks 21 & 22 CD 3
Louis Armstrong ( tpt / vocal ) Trummy Young ( tmb ) Peanuts Hucko ( clt ) Billy Kyle ( pno ) Mort Herbert ( bass ) Danny Barcelona ( drs )
Film soundtrack for Kaerlighedens Melodi Copenhagen, Denmark, 26 January 1959
Bonus track 23 CD 3
Rheingold Beer spot
Louis Armstrong ( tpt / vocal ) Trummy Young ( tmb ) Edmond Hall ( clt ) Billy Kyle ( pno ) Squire Gersh ( bass ) Barrett Deems ( drs )
Reeves Sound Studios, New York,8 October 1956
This is by no means the ultimate version of the All Stars as there is no Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines or Sid Catlett but then we must consider these recordings for what they are.
This is a typical Louis Armstrong All Stars concert performance of the period and which was continue for many years to the delight of audiences. By this stage of his career Armstrong had settled the way he would play these songs and what form his solos would follow but that is not to say his playing had deteriorated at least three marvellous albums were to follow, “Satch Plays W.C. Handy”, “Satch Plays Fats2 and Louis’s outing with Duke Ellington, but we must consider these recordings for what they are.
By this stage Louis had abdicated responsibility for the day to day running of the All Stars to his manager Joe Glaser this left Louis to concentrate on really interested him which was playing his music.
With a collection like this you are bound to have more than one version of a tune and this is no exception and in fact ther are no less than seven versions of “It’s Sleepy Time down South” but Louis’s theme this is not unexpected.
On the Crescendo recordings each member of the All Stars is given his own individual number to make his mark and although not all the musicians make the most of the opportunity there are flashes of inspiration.
Velma Middleton is not the worlds greatest blues singer it does give Louis the chance to play some fine trumpet behind her vocals. We must not lose sight of the fact that these recordings were recorded in front of a live audience and the main aim was to entertain them which I am sure was most successful.
The seventeen tracks recorded by NBC for broadcasting from the New York, Basin Street Club were much in the same vein as the Crescendo recordings but do suffer a little from some surface noise bt this does not detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the music.
The other three bonus tracks are merely fillers and have little to do with jazz and are aimed at a more commercial market.
Although the quality of the music on this release is uneven I am sure all lovers of Louis Armstrong’s music will welcome these recordings if only for completeness.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Complete Edition
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55657
3 CD Set
Tracks 1 to 18 CD1, 1 to 18 CD2 & 1 tto 5 CD3
Louis Armstrong & his All Stars
Louis Armstrong ( tpt / vocal ) Trummy Young ( tmb / vocal ) Barney Bigard ( clt ) Billy Kyle ( pno ) Arvell Shaw ( bass ) Barrett Deems ( drs ) Velma Middleton ( vocals )
Recorded live at The Crescendo Club, Los Angeles, 21 January 1955
Bonus tracks 6 to 20 CD 3
Same personnel as previous but recorded , NBC broadcast from the Basin Street Club, New York, August & September 1954Bonus tracks 21 & 22 CD 3
Louis Armstrong ( tpt / vocal ) Trummy Young ( tmb ) Peanuts Hucko ( clt ) Billy Kyle ( pno ) Mort Herbert ( bass ) Danny Barcelona ( drs )
Film soundtrack for Kaerlighedens Melodi Copenhagen, Denmark, 26 January 1959
Bonus track 23 CD 3
Rheingold Beer spot
Louis Armstrong ( tpt / vocal ) Trummy Young ( tmb ) Edmond Hall ( clt ) Billy Kyle ( pno ) Squire Gersh ( bass ) Barrett Deems ( drs )
Reeves Sound Studios, New York,8 October 1956
This is by no means the ultimate version of the All Stars as there is no Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines or Sid Catlett but then we must consider these recordings for what they are.
This is a typical Louis Armstrong All Stars concert performance of the period and which was continue for many years to the delight of audiences. By this stage of his career Armstrong had settled the way he would play these songs and what form his solos would follow but that is not to say his playing had deteriorated at least three marvellous albums were to follow, “Satch Plays W.C. Handy”, “Satch Plays Fats2 and Louis’s outing with Duke Ellington, but we must consider these recordings for what they are.
By this stage Louis had abdicated responsibility for the day to day running of the All Stars to his manager Joe Glaser this left Louis to concentrate on really interested him which was playing his music.
With a collection like this you are bound to have more than one version of a tune and this is no exception and in fact ther are no less than seven versions of “It’s Sleepy Time down South” but Louis’s theme this is not unexpected.
On the Crescendo recordings each member of the All Stars is given his own individual number to make his mark and although not all the musicians make the most of the opportunity there are flashes of inspiration.
Velma Middleton is not the worlds greatest blues singer it does give Louis the chance to play some fine trumpet behind her vocals. We must not lose sight of the fact that these recordings were recorded in front of a live audience and the main aim was to entertain them which I am sure was most successful.
The seventeen tracks recorded by NBC for broadcasting from the New York, Basin Street Club were much in the same vein as the Crescendo recordings but do suffer a little from some surface noise bt this does not detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the music.
The other three bonus tracks are merely fillers and have little to do with jazz and are aimed at a more commercial market.
Although the quality of the music on this release is uneven I am sure all lovers of Louis Armstrong’s music will welcome these recordings if only for completeness.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
