Louis Armstrong

DIGIPACK EDITION

This release contains 16 selections from five different nightclub engagements—Bop City in New York in 1950, Club Hangover in San Francisco in 1952, Storyville in Boston in 1953, Basin Street in New York in 1955 and the Brant Inn in Ontario in 1958–featuring five different iterations of Armstrong’s All Stars, featuring top sidemen such as Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Arvell Shaw, Cozy Cole, Marty Napoleon, Milt Hinton, Barrett Deems, Edmond Hall and more. No matter the venue or the backing band, Armstrong is peak form throughout, most noticeably showing off at the Hangover with disciple Billie Holiday in the audience, first performing the legendary “West End Blues,” a song that had a formative influence on the young Holiday, then following it with an absolutely on fire version of “A Kiss to Build a Dream On.” Holiday can be heard shouting her approval throughout, just as audiences in 2017 will be cheering on this important new release that once again demonstrates with finality that Pops was always tops.

PERSONNEL:

ON TRACKS [1-2]
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc); Jack Teagarden (tb); Barney Bigard (cl);
Earl Hines (p) Arvell Shaw (b); Cozy Cole (d).
Bop City, New York, late June 1950

ON TRACKS [3-6]
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc); Russ Phillips (tb); Barney Bigard (cl)
Marty Napoleon (p); Dale Jones (b): Cozy Cole (d); Velma Middleton (voc)
Club Hangover, San Francisco, early March 1952

ON TRACK [7]
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc); Trummy Young (tb, voc); Barney Bigard (cl, voc),
Marty Napoleon (p); Milt Hinton (b); Cozy Cole (d),
Storyville, Boston - Most likely early October 1953.
Louis played there September 29 - October 5 but this broadcast is on the same tape as a concert he did at Boston University on October 1, so that could be the date.

ON TRACKS [8-10]
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc); Trummy Young (tb); Barney Bigard (cl)
Billy Kyle (p); Arwell Shaw (b); Barrett Deems (d); Velma Middleton (voc)
NBC Monitor Broadcast - Basin Street, New York, July 2, 1955

ON TRACKS [11-16]
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc); Trummy Young (tb); Edmond Hall (cl); Billy Kyle (p)
Mort Herbert (b); Barrett Deems (d); Velma Middleton (voc)
CBC broascast - Brant Inn, Burlington, Ontario, Canada, January 23, 1958.

TRACKS:

01. Royal Garden Blues
02. My Monday Date
03. West End Blues
04. Billie Holiday Introduction
05. A Kiss to Build a Dream On
06. You’re Just in Love
07. New Orleans Function
08. Muskrat Ramble
09. Pretty Little Missy
10. Ko Ko Mo
11. Struttin’ with Some Barbecue
12. Lazy River
13. That’s My Desire
14. Someday You’ll Be Sorry
15. Tin Roof Blues/When The Saints Go Marching In
16. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South