Satch Blows the Blues

Read About This Recording

Mohammed Ali, the greatest fighter of all time, and Louis Armstrong, the greatest jazz musician of all time. His spontaneity and inventive musical style remains the sole blueprint for aspiring and established musicians. As Miles Davis once stated, no musician can play any tune without repeating what 'Pops' has already done. Ironically, the title of this great album Satch Blows The Blues is misleading; even when playing the blues he swings with sweeping rhythms and effortless improvisations that touch the soul and make your body move. Dating back to 1928, this CD documents Armstrong's instinctive sounds of his native New Orleans covering folk songs, spirituals, marches (a New Orleans staple for funerals and big celebrations) and hymns. These are the rhythmic sounds that became his distinctive foundation for worldwide success.

Here you have a treasure chest of 16 gems that flourished from the roots of Armstrong's childhood musical experience and imagination. His phenomenal coronet penetrates every track with his orchestra recordings, as well as his Hot Five, Savoy Room Five and his All-Stars Quintet. His passionate graveled vocals on St. Louis Blues, Black and Blue and Yellow Dog Blues are just as superlative as his instrumental solos. Armstrong's music is ageless.

-Ron Scott

Extended Article

To observe Satch Blows The Blues is like saying that William Shakespeare Writes The Plays or Greta Garbo Has The Face. Not only did the great cornetist (and vocalist) sing (and play) the blues, he embodied them, New Orleans style, in all their searing pain, jumping exultation, earthy humor and bespangled majesty.

Armstrong (1901-71) was a musical Midas: virtually everything he touched turned a deep, rich blue, whether launching into his mentor Joe Oliver's West End Blues with the Hot Five (with special guest Earl Hines, dubbed the Armstrong of the piano) or fronting a larger ensemble for such distinguished, Tin Pan Alley blues permutations as St. Louis Blues and When Your Lover Has Gone. Spanning the years 1928 to 1955 (the latter peformances are by a superior edition of Armstrong's All-Stars), this delightful collection spotlights Satchmo the Great delving into his, and his country's, predominant musical source.

Contents

West End Blues; Basin Street Blues; St. James Infirmary; Tight Like This; St. Louis Blues; Black and Blue; Dallas Blues; Blue, Turning Grey Over You; Memories of You; Blue Again; When Your Lover Has Gone; Lawd! You Made the Night Too Long; Hesitation Blues; The Memphis Blues (Or Mister Crump); Beale Street Blues; Yellow Dog Blues.

Louis Armstrong, Vocals/Trumpet.