[Dixielandjazz] favorite Armstrong recordings.

[Bert Brandsma]

My favourite record is also West End Blues, but I wish to mention something else.

If I take my list of favourite all times jazz videos he is in the top 3 also.

I mean his live version of Dinah taken from a concert in Copenhagen.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhVdLd43bDI

 

The band here plays so much better then the bands he used on the commercial recording of the tune.

Better drive, better swing, nicer syncopated backing riff in the last chorus, even a bit better in tune.

And above all, the maestro himself with a perfect timing in singing and playing that simply nobody on earth could equal at the time.

His highnote endings don't look so sensational anymore nowadays, but we should not forget that at that time nobody else could do it. Now every bigband lead tp has to start out in this register but that was not the situation in 1933.

 

Other records I find sensational are Copenhagen with Fletcher Henderson,since this is a rare occaission where Armstrong has a real good musical arrangement around him.(Heavily influenced by the version Beiderbecke recorded earlier, we should not forget!)

Cakewalking Babies with Williams/Bechet

Then some other nice hot fives are :

- Muskrat Ramble. His timing here is so far ahead.

- Cornet Shop S.

- Savoy Blues His solo here could be played in every modern jazz jam session and you won't be out of place.

 

With the big bands some nice tracks include :

- Mahagony Hall stomp

- Stardust

 

In fact from every period there are nice musical statements

- Can't we Be Friends with Ella and a very good backing combo including Buddy Rich playing brushes, very tasty.

 

In the movie High Society, to me and I guess to a lot of other people as well he is the most fascinating person.

Think what would happen if you would cut out all his scenes. Nothing would be left of that movie.

 

Even one of his very last musical contributions, We have all the time in the world, for the James Bond movie I find fascinating.

 

In a certain way he is a timeless musician. Of course he was most revolutionary when young, but it took the rest so many years to get close...........

 

It is a good thing they named the Airport in New Orleans after him. You arrive there, hear one of the hot five records and immediatly feel at home!

 

In Poland they named a Jazz Festival in honour of him by the way. I played there last summer. It was great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwyAYT-nO_4

 

Kind regards,

 

Bert Brandsma


 

 
> From: csuhor at zebra.net
> Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 13:02:02 -0600
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] favorite Armstrong recordings.
> CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> To: dixieorkest at hotmail.com
> 
> I haven't heard the range of Louis' recordings that Teachout has, and I 
> don't like being conventional, but I'd have to vote for the the 
> long-celebrated Hot Fives and Sevens where he blew everybody's mind 
> with playing and singing that essentially defined jazz perfection for 
> the first time--especially, Hotter Than That, West End Blues, Heebie 
> Jeebies, Struttin' With Some Barbecue; and also the incredible Weather 
> Bird duet with Hines that Teachout names. Louis' big band during the 
> swing years underwent a critical revival after being ignored for 
> decades, but I believe the revisionist praise went too far. Louis the 
> fluent improviser seldom showed up in a big band setting. I really dug 
> the All-Stars Band of the forties with Teagarden, Bigard, et al.-- but 
> they were past the pioneering stage. The long-range picture, though, 
> was best stated by Dizzy Gillespie when he said that every note that 
> Louis played was perfectly placed, the essence of jazz conception.
> 
> Charlie
> 
> On Dec 3, 2009, at 9:25 AM, Norman Vickers wrote:
> 
> > To:  Musicians and Jazzfans list ; DJML
> > From:  norman
> >  
> > Here’s a link to NPR—Terry Teachout’s comments about Louis Armstrong.  
> > ( All  of you should know that Teachout has a new biography of 
> > Armstrong)  Also comments about Teachout’s favorite Armstrong 
> > Recordings and some audio links.
> > So—if interested, enjoy!
> >  
> > 'Pops': Louis Armstrong, In His Own Words
> > NPR
> > The greatest jazz musician of all time started making records in 1923 
> > and kept at it until 1970, a year before his death. And he didn't play 
> > favorites. ...
> >  
> >                                                                         
> >     --end--
> >  
> > <unknown.jpg> 
 		 	   		  
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