[Dixielandjazz] favorite Armstrong recordings.

[Stan Brager]

I'll add "Muggles" to the list of greatest Armstrong recordings. What
excites me is that Satchmo's solo takes a simple phrase, makes different
variations on it one after another. Someone once counted 37 variations. It's
as if he's showing what makes it jazz.

Stan
Stan Brager

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bert Brandsma [mailto:dixieorkest at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 10:16 PM
> To: csuhor at zebra.net
> Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] favorite Armstrong recordings.
> 
> 
> 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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