Saint Louis Armstrong

Louis Armsrong

Source: Keep Swinging

Born in New Orleans on 4 August 1901, trumpeter, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, was an enormously beloved jazz personality who made a national treasure of himself. Originally following the New Orleans style, he made a point of attending Buddy Bolden performances as a child. Later moving from Louisiana to Chicago, he played with King Oliver, with whom he first recorded on 5 April of 1923 in Richmond, Indiana, including compositions by Oliver, Armstrong and Lil Hardin, the last to become Armstrong's second wife the next year on 5 February 1924.

'Just Gone'   King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band   Armstrong's 1st recording

Recorded 5 April 1923 in Richmond IN    Matrix 11383-B   Gennett 5133

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott   Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Oliver / Bill Johnson

'Canal Street Blues'   King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band   Armstrong's 2nd recording

Recorded 5 April 1923 in Richmond IN   Matrix 11384-B   Gennett 5133

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott   Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Oliver / Louis Armstrong

'Mandy Lee Blues'   King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band   Armstrong's 3rd recording

Recorded 5 April 1923 in Richmond IN   Matrix 11385-C   Gennett 5134

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott   Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose

'Dipper Mouth Blues'   King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band   Dipper Mouth: Armstrong's nickname

Recorded 6 April 1923 in Richmond IN   Matrix 11389-B   Gennett 5132

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott   Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Oliver / Louis Armstrong

In 1924 Armstrong put down tracks with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, Ma Rainey and Virginia Liston. His first recordings as a band leader were in Chicago with his Hot Five on November 12 of 1925, 'My Heart' the first tune in that session of three. His next session with the Hot Five was in February of 1926, one tune unissued. The following session on the 26th, however, yielded several titles, 'Cornet Chop Suey' among them. Armstrong followed his Hot Five with his Hot Seven until 1928.

'Gut Bucket Blues'   Louis Armstrong's Hot Five

Recorded 12 Nov 1925 in Chicago   Okeh 8261

Cornet: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Kid Ory

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr

Composition: Armstrong

'Heebie Jeebies'   Louis Armstrong's Hot Five

Recorded 26 Feb 1926 in Chicago   Matrix 9534-A    Okeh 8300

Cornet: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Kid Ory

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr

Composition: Armstrong

'Cornet Chop Suey'   Louis Armstrong's Hot Five

Recorded 26 Feb 1926 in Chicago   Matrix 9535-A    Okeh 8320

Cornet: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Kid Ory

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr

Composition: Armstrong

'Big Butter and Egg Man' ("big spender")   Louis Armstrong's Hot Five backing May Alix

Recorded 16 Nov 1926 in Chicago   OKeh 8423

Cornet: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Kid Ory

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds   Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr

Composition: Percy Venable

'West End Blues'   Louis Armstrong's Hot Five

Recorded 28 June 1928 in Chicago   Okeh 8597

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Fred Robinson

Clarinet: Jimmy Strong   Piano: Earl Hines

Banjo: Mancy Carr   Drums: Zutty Singleton

Composition: King Oliver

In August 1928 Armstrong's composition, 'Hear Me Talking to You', had been issued by Ma Rainey and the Tub Jug Washboard Band. Armstrong formed his Orchestra in 1929 before appearing in film for the first time in 1931 in 'Ex-Flam'. As the calendar turned from the Roaring Twenties into swing so did Armstrong, credited with originating scat singing. Armstrong spent the thirties and the War years getting himself crowned as master of the swing era.

'When the Saints Go Marching In'   Louis Armstrong Orchestra

Recorded 13 May 1938 in NYC   Decca 2230

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trumpet: Shelton Hemphill   Trombone: J.C. Higginbotham

Clarinet / alto sax: Rupert Cole   Alto sax: Charlie Holmes   Tenor sax: Bingie Madison

Piano: Luis Russell   Guitar: Lee Blair

String bass: Pops Foster   Drums: Paul Barbarin

Composition: Anon latter 19th century

Between Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York Armstrong was among the hardest working musicians in the industry with his band, the All Stars, pumping out more than 300 engagements a year from 1947 into the fifties. The All Stars recorded their first official tracks on May 17 of 1947 at Town Hall in NYC. Performing titles like 'Cornet Chop Suey' and 'Jack-Armstrong Blues', the All Stars on that occasion consisted of Bobby Hackett (cornet), Jack Teagarden (trombone), Peanuts Hucko (clarinet, tenor sax), Ernie Caceres (clarinet, baritone sax), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Al Casey (guitar), Al Hall (upright bass) and Cozy Cole on drums. All Stars personnel rapidly revolved though Teagarden stuck with the ensemble into 1951.

'Someday You'll Be Sorry'   Louis Armstrong All Stars

Recorded 10 June 1947 in NYC   Victor 20-2530

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Cornet: Bobby Hackett   Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Clarinet / tenor sax: Peanuts Hucko   Clarinet / baritone sax: Ernie Caceres

Piano / celeste: Johnny Guarnieri   Guitar: Al Casey

String bass: Al Hall   Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Armstrong

'On the Sunny Side of the Street'   Louis Armstrong All Stars

Recorded in 2 parts on 30 Nov 1947 at Symphony Hall in Boston

Part 1: Decca 28105   Part 2: Decca 28106

Album: 'Satchmo at Symphony Hall'   DX-108   1951 [Discogs]

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Clarinet: Barney Bigard   Piano: Dick Carey

String bass: Arvell Shaw   Drums: Sidney Catlett

Music: Jimmy McHugh   Lyrics: Dorothy Fields

Rights possibly sold to McHugh by Fats Waller

'Dream a Little Dream of Me'   Louis Armstrong w Ella Fitzgerald / Sy Oliver Orchestra

Recorded 25 Aug 1950 in NYC   Decca 27209

Trumpet: Louis Armstrong / Paul Webster   Tenor sax: Frank Ludwig

Clarinet: Hank D'Amico   Piano: Hank Jones   Guitar: Everett Barksdale

String bass: Ray Brown   Drums: Johnny Blowers   Vocals: Armstrong / Firzgerald

Music: Fabian Andre / Wilbur Schwandt   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

Come the golden duets between Armstrong Ella Fitzgerald on 'Ella and Louis' and 'Ella and Louis Again' in 1956 and 1957. In 1961 Armstrong led his All Stars with Duke Ellington on 'Recording Together for the First Time'. They issued 'The Great Reunion' in 1963. Armstrong's version of 'Hello Dolly' in 1964 might be considered ultimate to jazz in that it is said to be the last jazz recording to sell more copies than rock and roll.

'Ella and Louis'   Louis Armstrong w Ella Fitzgerald

Recorded 16 Aug 1956 in Los Angeles   Album: 'Ella and Louis'   Verve MGV 4003   1956

Piano: Oscar Peterson   Guitar: Herb Ellis

String bass: Ray Brown   Drums: Buddy Rich

'Mack the Knife'   Louis Armstrong All Stars   SRD TV

Recorded 15 Feb 1959 at Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Germany

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Trummy Young

Clarinet: Peanuts Hucko   Piano: Billy Kyle

String bass: Mort Herbert   Drums: Danny Barcelona

Music: Kurt Weill   Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht

'When the Saints Go Marching In'   Louis Armstrong All Stars   Television

Goodyear Jazz Concert 2 April 1962 in NYC

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Trummy Young

Clarinet: Joe Darensbourg   Piano: Billy Kyle

String bass: Billy Cronk   Drums: Danny Barcelona   Vocal: Jewel Brown

Composition: Anon latter 19th century

'Hello Dolly'   Louis Armstrong All Stars

Recorded 3 Dec 1963   Kapp 573 / mono 1364 / stereo 3364

Also issued on the album 'Hello Dolly!' 1964

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Trummy Young

Clarinet: Joe Darensbourg   Piano: Billy Kyle

Guitar / banjo: Tony Gattuso

String bass: Arvell Shaw   Drums: Danny Barcelona

Composition: Jerry Herman

'Blueberry Hill'   Louis Armstrong All Stars

Filmed in Berlin 1965

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Tyree Glenn

Clarinet: Eddie Shu   Piano: Billy Kyle

String bass: Arvell Shaw   Drums: Danny Barcelona

Music: Vincent Rose   Lyrics: Larry Stock / Al Lewis

'Dream a Little Dream of Me'   Louis Armstrong All Stars

Recorded 23 July 1968 in Las Vegas   ABC-Paramount 650

Trumpet / vocal: Louis Armstrong   Trombone: Tyree Glenn

Clarinet: Joe Muranyi   Piano: Marty Napoleon

String bass: Buddy Catlett   Drums: Danny Barcelona

Music: Fabian Andre / Wilbur Schwandt   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

Armstrong died in his sleep on July 6, 1971, of heart attack.