― andy, Wednesday, 12 March 2003 12:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 12:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
No way to your first question, yes to the second.JSP has a box set of the Complete Hot 5s and 7s that is essential -- possibly the most important recordings in the history of pop music. Your Columbia box set has some of these but in vastly inferior sound. And avoid the Columbia version of the complete set. The JSP set sounds the best and is dirt cheap ($25 or so for 4 CDs). Then get JSP's "Big Band Recordings 1930-1932," a 2-CD set. Another superb set.Next, search out his early recordings on Decca, where he put more emphasis on his vocal talents. Some of these are available on Decca or the Classics labels.Some other fine sets are "Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography," a 1950s series of recordings in which he revisits his old stuff; and "Ella & Louis," "Plays W.C. Handy," and "The Complete RCA Victor Recordings."His Verve recordings aren't as essential, I don't think. He also did a great set with Duke Ellington in the early 60s.Hope this helps.
― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 13:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Andrew Norman, Wednesday, 12 March 2003 13:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 15:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
I just got this a week or two ago, and although my taste for jazz is waning this is still very good.
― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 15:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
You can't go wrong with Armstrong, I even like his version of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream"...
― Jess Hill (jesshill), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 16:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
― terry lennox. (gareth), Saturday, 22 October 2005 08:46 (eighteen years ago) link
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0009I476Q.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
― Lenox Louis, Saturday, 22 October 2005 09:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― Burr (Burr), Saturday, 22 October 2005 15:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Brakhage (brakhage), Saturday, 22 October 2005 18:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― Hurting (Hurting), Saturday, 22 October 2005 20:56 (eighteen years ago) link
me too, I first heard the volumes from the Columbia series and whatever JSP did to clean up the hiss sacrificed some warmth too, not that you should or would care if you weren't used to the Columbia ones. Thinking of the comp-as-mixtape, I much prefer the Columbia sequencing too but whatever, the JSP is great anyway.
also search: him singing w/ Dave Brubeck's band on "Summer Song" near the end of his life, his fading but ever-hopeful growl adds slabs of poignance to an already lovely tune.
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Saturday, 22 October 2005 21:21 (eighteen years ago) link
Proper has just put out a 4CD box of Louis' early stuff for about $18 or so. Haven't heard it so I can't weigh in on the mastering but the price is certainly right.
― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Sunday, 23 October 2005 06:51 (eighteen years ago) link
just read this bio of louis armstrong by terry teachout (wall street journal drama critic) - it swings!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41cIIMnzkpL._SL500_AA266_PIkin2,BottomRight,-16,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
not a fan of teachout's journalism - he's a reactionary windbag IMO - but this book is pretty great, judicious and full of details gleaned from louis' voluminous memoirs, journals, letters. had no idea armstrong was such a jazzy writer. and the book is compact - tight like that - less than 400 pp, rather than a sprawling multi-volume set.
― lifetime supply of boat shoes (m coleman), Monday, 21 June 2010 00:21 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah, i enjoyed this book, a good mix of life/music + as you say, compact, at least compared to a lot of bios. actually made me want to read all of Louis' memoir stuff.
― tylerw, Monday, 21 June 2010 00:41 (thirteen years ago) link
christgau review here fwiw:
http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/Pops-as-Pop/ba-p/2578
― Ward Fowler, Monday, 21 June 2010 06:52 (thirteen years ago) link
Clear, balanced, accurate, fast-flowing, and musically informed though it is, Pops is based on secondary sources.
when your subject has been dead for almost 40 years, along w/most of his collaborators & colleagues, how else to proceed?
― lifetime supply of boat shoes (m coleman), Monday, 21 June 2010 12:44 (thirteen years ago) link
Born 110 years ago today. Man should be on our currency.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhVdLd43bDI
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 4 August 2011 13:46 (twelve years ago) link
Ah, American currency anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYJkD3pkNEkind of an amazing collection of people here
― tylerw, Thursday, 4 August 2011 16:30 (twelve years ago) link
hehhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWyH85LK-lI&list=UUOIbeYUX2aig&index=44kind of like this, anyone heard his country album? guess he was riding ray charles' coattails there?
― tylerw, Thursday, 4 August 2011 16:33 (twelve years ago) link
HB Louis Armstrong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmmFKu4FEbc
― Brad C., Thursday, 4 August 2011 16:34 (twelve years ago) link
Just picked this up the other day. Takes a detailed look at Armstrong's recordings during his early period and is getting rave reviews. The author, Thomas Brothers, also wrote Louis Armstrong's New Orleans. http://manwithoutqualities.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/louis-armstrong_master-of-modernism.jpg?w=650
― Jazzbo, Friday, 7 March 2014 12:55 (ten years ago) link
You gotta hear this — original metal "mother" of "Ain't Misbehavin'" from 1929. Sounds glorious. Not sure if you can't buy it anywhere.http://www.openculture.com/2016/04/the-cleanest-recordings-of-1920s-louis-armstrong-songs-youll-ever-hear.html
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 14 April 2016 11:15 (eight years ago) link
very cool
― dc, Thursday, 14 April 2016 12:17 (eight years ago) link
damn these really do sound amazing!
― tylerw, Thursday, 14 April 2016 14:46 (eight years ago) link
Omg
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:19 (eight years ago) link
his home/museum in Corona, Queens is a must-visit btw.
― we can be heroes just for about 3.6 seconds (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:20 (eight years ago) link
yeah i gotta make it out there next time i'm in nyc
― tylerw, Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:22 (eight years ago) link
but seriously, these "metal mother" transfers ... are there more to come? can't get over how alive they sound.
― tylerw, Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:24 (eight years ago) link
Here’s the word from Nick Dellow, who supplied the transfer of both songs, as posted on YouTube:
There are still metals parts for pre-war Victor, Columbia and OKeh (from 1926) 78 rpm recordings residing within Sony's vaults in New York, though I have no idea exactly how much is left - probably more than one might think. Very occasionally, they are used as the source material for CD reissues, but the results vary! The 1952 date on the Odeon cover is probably the date the metal mother was deleted, as by then Odeon - in line with everyone else - had started to move over to 45 rpm and 33 rpm microgroove. 78s were issued up until the late 1950s in Europe and the USA, depending on the artist and sales levels....and were still being pressed in India in the early 1960s (including The Beatles early EMI singles). Thanks to everyone for their comments about my transfers and restoration work on these metal mothers.
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:40 (eight years ago) link
I've been living with the columbia hot 5s & 7s for over 20 years now. Never even thought to look for better remasters. Along with the 60s Stones, those are my favorite recordings of all-time. "metal mothers" do sound great. Can't wait to play them on some nice speakers. I hope there's more to come. After reading this thread, I'm really torn about checking the JSP collection.
― nicky lo-fi, Thursday, 14 April 2016 17:41 (eight years ago) link
Louis Jordan >>>>>>>> Louis Armstrong
― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 14 April 2016 18:05 (eight years ago) link
Man, that's a ranking I can't make, love them both dearly. Add in Prima for the three Louies.
― Double Nickels on the Pecunidigm (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 14 April 2016 18:18 (eight years ago) link
Oh man, I want this Bear Family Louis Prima box really badly.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Thursday, 14 April 2016 18:24 (eight years ago) link
I've been living with the columbia hot 5s & 7s for over 20 years now. Never even thought to look for better remasters.Columbia did finally get its act together and released a decent-sounding set at one point. Depends on what release you own. I would suggest checking out the JSPs anyway.
― Jazzbo, Friday, 15 April 2016 10:53 (eight years ago) link
This might be helpful.http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/louis-armstrong-hot-fives-and-sevens-the-best-one.47579/
― Jazzbo, Friday, 15 April 2016 10:57 (eight years ago) link
yes, thanks for that. I have a couple JSP boxes that I was very happy with. I have a 20s New Orleans various, and I have the '26-'29 Ellington. Now that I've checked out their catalogue, I think I would like 15-20 more. At that price I can't go wrong checking it out. I can always sell the version I like least.
― nicky lo-fi, Friday, 15 April 2016 14:34 (eight years ago) link
via JCLC
Thanks to a $2.7 million grant from Robert F. Smith’s Fund II Foundation, The Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens, NY is digitizing thousands of valuable artifacts of the late jazz legend, including photographs, letters, audio, newspaper clippings, video, personal papers, sheet music and scrapbooks. Soon, these newly resurfaced artifacts will be available online through the The Louis Armstrong House Museum’s Research Collections. Deluxe Media Recall made the move to digitize the collection to make Armstrong’s living legacy readily available to fans worldwide.
The collection will include a scrapbook compilation of Armstrong’s early days in New York, hundreds of hours of never-before-heard concert recordings, spoken word tapes, video concert footage and photographs of the trumpeter in his Queens home.
http://www.offbeat.com/news/louis-armstrong-house-museum/
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 16 October 2018 15:44 (five years ago) link
The JSP 1930-32 big band set is also great. I actually prefer it to the Hot 5s and 7s.
― o. nate, Tuesday, 16 October 2018 16:21 (five years ago) link
the digital trove
https://collections.louisarmstronghouse.org/
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 16:06 (five years ago) link
So the NY Times article on this mentions reel-to-reel mixtapes Armstrong loved to make, jumping from opera to his Hot Fives shellac to Charlie Parker to the Beatles, sometimes injected with his commentary. Are those up there? 'Cause man would I like to hear them.
― saddest kamancheh (bendy), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 16:28 (five years ago) link
I haven't dug in yet but the article sure made it sound like they digitized everything
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 22:49 (five years ago) link
https://www.wbgo.org/post/deep-dive-putting-louis-armstrong-context#stream/0
― How I Redd One of the Blecchs (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 5 May 2019 17:57 (five years ago) link
every single move here is mad genius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUcQESVYlec
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 3 June 2020 00:31 (three years ago) link