Louis Armstrong

INCLUDES 6 BONUS TRACKS

5 STARS DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE - 5 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

This release presents, for the first time ever on a single set, all of the music issued from the perennial Louis Armstrong LP celebrating the music of W. C. Handy: Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy (Columbia CL591). To the eleven tracks that constituted the original LP release, it’s been added all of the alternate, rehearsal, and partially alternate tracks ever issued, many of which have been long unavailable. Louis is backed here by one of the best formations of his All Stars, with such outstanding musicians as Trummy Young, Barney Bigard and Billy Kyle. As a further bonus, Louis’ earliest readings of W. C. Handy tunes (backing Bessie Smith in 1925), as well as alternative studio recordings of “St. Louis Blues” and “Ole Miss”, and his wonderful 1956 live recording of “St. Louis Blues” with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein.

PERSONNEL:

Louis Armstrong & The All Stars:
LOUIS ARMSTRONG, trumpet, vocal
BARNEY BIGARD, clarinet
TRUMMY YOUNG, trombone
BILLY KYLE, piano
ARVELL SHAW, bass
BARRETT DEEMS, drums
VELMA MIDDLETON, vocal

Chicago, July 12-14, 1954. Original sessions produced by George Avakian.

*BONUS TRACKS:

CD1 [12] Louis Armstrong (tp, vcl), Jack Teagarden (tb), Barney Bigard (cl), Earl Hines (p), Arvell Shaw (b), Cozy Cole (d).
New York, April 26, 1950.

CD1 [13] Louis Armstrong (tp, vcl) & the All Stars plus The New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
Lewisohn Stadium, New York, July 14, 1956.

CD2 [14] Bessie Smith (vcl), Louis Armstrong (cornet), Charlie Green (tb), Fred Longshaw (p).
New York, May 26, 1925.

CD2 [15] Bessie Smith (vcl), Louis Armstrong (cornet), Fred Longshaw (organ).
New York, January 14, 1925.

CD2 [16] Louis Armstrong (tp, vcl) & His Orchestra.
New York, December 13, 1929.

CD2 [17] Louis Armstrong (tp, vcl) & His Orchestra.
Chicago, April 26, 1933.

INCLUDES 20 PAGE BOOKLET

CD1:
01 ST. LOUIS BLUES 8:53
02 YELOW DOG BLUES 4:18
03 LOVELESS LOVE 4:30
04 AUNT HAGAR’S BLUES 4:59
05 LONG GONE JOHN [FROM BOWLIN’ GREEN] 5:11
06 THE MEMPHIS BLUES [or MISTER CRUMP] 3:01
07 BEALE STREET BLUES 4:57
08 OLE MISS BLUES 3:27
09 CHANTEZ LE BAS [SING ‘EM LOW] 4:50
10 HESITATING BLUES 5:21
11 ATLANTA BLUES [MAKE ME ONE PALLET ON YOUR FLOOR] 4:34
12 BUGLE CALL RAG/OLE MISS [1950] 8:46*
13 ST. LOUIS BLUES (Concerto Grosso) [with Leonard Bernstein, 1956] 10:26*

TOTAL TIME 73:05

CD 2:
01 ST. LOUIS BLUES [partially alternate take] 8:57
02 LOVELESS LOVE [partially alternate take] 4:35
03 LOVELESS LOVE [rehearsal] 5:57
04 AUNT HAGAR’S BLUES [partially alternate take] 5:00
05 LONG GONE JOHN [FROM BOWLIN’ GREEN] [alternate take] 4:16
06 LONG GONE JOHN [FROM BOWLIN’ GREEN] [rehearsal] 7:54
07 BEALE STREET BLUES [partially alternate take] 5:00
08 OLE MISS BLUES [alternate take] 4:43
09 HESITATING BLUES [partially alternate take] 5:24
10 HESITATING BLUES [rehearsal] 5:41
11 ATLANTA BLUES [MAKE ME ONE PALLET ON YOUR FLOOR]
[partially alternate take] 4:34
12 Alligator Story 0:48
13 George Avakian interview with W. C. Handy 2:46
14 CARELESS LOVE (LOVELESS LOVE) [with Bessie Smith, 1925] 3:30*
15 ST. LOUIS BLUES [with Bessie Smith, 1925] 3:10*
16 ST. LOUIS BLUES [1929] 3:04*
17 ST. LOUIS BLUES [1933] 2:43*

TOTAL TIME: 77:53