Search - Louis Armstrong :: Cocktail Hour: Louis Armstrong

The great Louis Armstrong has been called the Father of Jazz, and these two budget-priced discs capture him in full bloom around the late 1920s--although dating the pieces is difficult, as the Cocktail Hour series presents its music without session information. Disc 1 features some great, collaborative Hot Fives sides. These studio-only dates also include legendary, early jazzmen like Kid Ory on trombone and Johnny Dodds on clarinet. "Muskrat Rumble," "Basin Street Blues," and "Cornet Chop Suey" showcase Armstrong's marvelous, life-affirming horn work and vocals in a thriving, collective setting. Disc 2 has Armstrong fronting various big bands (including Lionel Hampton's) as a featured soloist in the early 1930s. Here, his singing and playing are the show, and on tunes such as "I'm a Ding-Dong Daddy (from Ducas)" and "Public Melody Number One," his exuberant trumpet and humorous vocals bring a smile to your heart. Louis Armstrong's vitality, daring, and spirit defined jazz for a generation, and here those qualities are on generous display. --Wally Shoup