In retrospect, it’s almost impossible that iconic artists like Louis Armstrong had highs and lows in their careers, but over the half century of his musical life, the man most credited with giving jazz its own sound via horn and voice definitely had his on-and-off relationship with the public and jazz world.
The man who practically invented jazz in the 1920s, had by the late thirties started to be criticized for not creating a successful or unique style during the Swing Era, and completely ignoring Bebop music, labelling it “Chinese music”. At the time, he was severely criticized for not “changing with the times” like contemporaries such as Coleman Hawkins, and was considered an “Uncle Tom” for not speaking up more for civil rights for American blacks.
But Armstrong got his musical and social messages across his own way, and on his own terms. This 7 disc limited edition set of 3,500 cds, shows the jazz legend setting his own pace, sticking to his guns and in the process setting a standard for interpreting music that soon became known as “The Great American Songbook” before that moniker was even used.
The set starts with him associated with the 1946 Esquire All-American Award Winners, has him trying to adapt to the Big Band Era, returning to his Hot Seven in various incarnations and finally getting traction when switching over to Columbia Records, and under the care of producer George Avakian, takes part in 3 absolutely classic sessions, one with the darling of modern jazz, Dave Brubeck.
The two-song Award Winner session has Armstrong singing and playing trumpet with the crème of the jazz crop, including Duke Ellington and band members Jimmy Hamilton/cl, Johnny Hodges/as, Sonny Greer/d along with modernists Chubby Jackson/b, Charlie Shavers/tp, Don Byas/ts and Remo Palmieri/g (?) for a hip “Snafu” and Armstrong in excellent voice for “Long Gone Journey.”
The same year and next, there are a handful of Don Redman arranged tunes that include vocalist Velma Middleton that is most successful on ‘Back O’Town Blues” with the Armstrong mugging well with his new partner here, and on his own the cozy “Longer In My Arms A Little Longer”. In the meantime, Armstrong was also trying to find the best working and financially viable small group format, trying Al Casey/g, Al Hall/b, Cozy Cole/dr, Ernie Cacares/cl-bari, Bobby Hackett/tp, Jack Teagarden/tb-voc, Peanuts Hucko/cl, with the avuncular Teagarden the perfect vocal partner for Armstrong on “Rockin’ Chair” and “Fifty-Fifty Blues” and his trombone more than holding his own with his contemporary.
By 1954, Armstrong had finally settled with a team of Trummy Young/tb, Barrett Deems/dr, Billy Kyle/p, Arvell Shaw/b, Barney Bigard/cl and Velma Middleton/voc, and with George Avakian at the production helm at the acoustically perfect Columbia studios. The first session produced the absolute classic Plays WC Handy” with Armstrong in absolutely revived voice and horn on definitive takes of “Aunt Hagar’s Blues”, “Beale Street Blues” and duets with Middleton on a hoot of “Long Gone” and earthy “Loveless Love”. Armstrong’s horn is stunningly glowing on his intro to “St. Louis Blues” and while the material that eventually made it to the record was edited and spliced around, we get here all of the versions, outtakes and “partially unissued” takes, as well as the ones we’re used to. A few months later the team came in studio for a couple of tunes, one featuring Trummy Young on vocals on a revisit of his Jimmie Lunceford hit “’Taint What You Do”.
The follow-up Satch Plays Fats almost a year later is Armstrong’s Godfather Part II, as good if not better than the first. His take here of “Black and Blue” exudes the socio-political passion of the times, while his teaming with Middleton on “Honeysuckle Rose” and “I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling” are as good as his pairing with Ella Fitzgerald. Once again, Armstrong’s horn is as modern as Miles on “I’m Crazy ‘Bout My Baby” while he yucks it up on an unforgettable take with Middleton on the hoot of “All That Meat And No Potatoes”, showing that you can be a serious musician and still have a fun time, rebelling against the self-important navel gazing at the time.
Before his next classic album, Armstrong did a series of one-off recordings, one in 1955 with vocalist Lotte Lenya (of “Mack The Knife” fame) on, what else? “Mack The Knife”, setting the standard for the tune that the likes of Darin and Fitzgerald used as inspiration. A few years later, he teams up with Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby and the Hi-Lo’s as guest voices on some quaint pieces such as “Music to Shave By” in various incarnations and combinations.
The next apotheosis came in 1961 with the album The Real Ambassadors guesting Armstrong with Dave Brubeck’s classic quartet minus Dave Brubeck and the hot vocal vocalese team of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross in a sort of good will musical package. LHR simmers on “Blow Satchmo” and “Swing Bells” , Armstrong shines on “The Real Ambassadors” and two work together and apart on “They Say I Look Like God”. Carmen McRae guests with Armstrong on “One Moment Worth Years” “I Didn’t Know You Told Me” and a take of “You Swing Baby”. The feel good session closes with an uplifting “Cultural Exchange,” with a wide collection of outtakes, particularly of McCrae on “In The Lurch” and “My One Bad Habit.”
The box set ends with a 1966 session with Armstrong leading a team that includes Tyree Glenn/tb and fellow Fletcher Henderson bandmember from the old days Buster Bailey/cl on “Cabaret” and “Canal Street Blues”.
This set is obviously a must-have for Armstrong fans, but it also serves as an inspiration for artists to stick with their vision, and not succumb to the changing trends of the time. Some people adapt to the times, others transcend them, which is what this set shows Armstrong did.
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