[Dixielandjazz] Lotte Lenya/Louis Armstrong

[David Richoux]

Don Ingle wrote:

snip

> Sorry I didn't hear the Louis/Lenya radio bit. Lotte was the wife of the
> composer, Kurt Weil, but was never a jazz singer, though in her own niche
> was a gifted artist. Some people never learn to swing...or in the first
> case, to match material with talent.

that version of "Mack the Knife" is actually available on a Lotte Lenya CD release
"Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill / Levine, Lenya, Armstrong, Gilford, et al"  Sony
60647 (it is listed  at Amazon, by the way and probably many other places have it.) 
There is also a German version with Turk Murphy's Jazz Band on the same  CD. I have
played both of them on my radio program a few times.

Dave Richoux





> > On a jazzier and brighter note, earlier in the day and on the way to
> > Milwaukee I turned on the radio and dialed in WEBZ, NPR in chicago.  A
> > marvelous interview with MIchael Cosgrove was underway. Cosgrove is the
> > curator on the Louis Armstrong Archives and he had some interesting things
> to
> > relate.  He played a tape of a record session that was never released.
> > Columbia thought that it would be clever to have Louis record, "Mack the
> > Knife" with Lotte Lenya, who had sung this song in the original show, "the
> > Three Penny Opera". she is mentioned in the song.  She is a square show
> > singer and can't get the ending that Louis is trying to show her.  It is
> > amusing to hear this as Louis is very gracious and patient, and over and
> over tries to show her the ending.