Customer Reviews

Great Chicago Concert 1956 - Complete

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the best All Star recordings of them all. The entire band is in top form and the mood is sublime. If you love Louis don't miss it, it's finer than the California Concerts.

WWOZ.com (New Orleans jazz and heritage radio) played this whole show for its Christmas morning programming and just blew us all away at our house. Too busy dancing to get the presents opened! I ordered my own copy, and recommend it highly- it's not just a great concert, but very much of a time and place, and so has a special kind of magic. All the intensity you want in a live show, with Satch at the top of his form. Amazing.

Satchmo and the band are on fire and the program is really special. But I have a big letdown: the CD boasts that it is 20 bit mastered and super bit mapping. But nowhere on the cover they mention that on many selections Louis and the band are caught off mike. And since this CD is rather pricy, I felt a little cheated by Columbia/Legacy this time.

If I was told that I could keep only
one CD from my collection, this would
be the one I would choose.
The sound and the mood are unbelievable.
If you close your eyes, you are sitting
in a front row seat. This recording simply
oozes feeling and soul and energy.

My appreciation of this man and his music grow with each CD to which I listen. I felt like I was in Chicago that long ago night and since I never saw him peform live, this seems like the next best thing. I especially like "Bucket's Got a Hole in It" and "Stompin at the Savoy." Louis is in good form for "Mack the Knife," too. The connection he had with his audience shines through, too. His All-Stars are in good form as well. Velma Middleton is great on "Big Mama's Back in Town." I don't understand why she drew such criticism. The woman has a great voice and is a perfect foil for Louis. Trummy Young on trombone is superb and his duet with Louis on "Rockin'Chair" is charming.

I also want to mention the splendid liner notes provided by his former producer George Avakian. He tells a great story about how the concert came to be recorded. A little piece of history that I found fascinating. He does a similar great job with the notes on "Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy" and "Satch Plays Fats," two other fine albums/cds. Check those out if you haven't yet.

All in all, if you are a fan of Louis, you will love this CD!

The mood of this set is infectious. Pops is in top form throughout. I especially enjoy disk 2 where each band member is featured on a track. Just listen to Louis play ensemble style while backing up his other players and his joy of performance and love of music comes right through the speakers. This is not my favorite Armstrong CD but it is by far my favorite live recording. Listening to this is as close as I'll ever get to seeing/hearing this incredible band play live unless as I suspect these guys are playing in heaven and I get in.

This is a wonderful sample of Louis Armstrong's music. His love for what he is doing comes across very strong. His own enjoyment of the individuals in his band comes across very well too.

This is a great sampling of Louis Armstrong. You also get the advantage of hearing him in front of an audience -- which is authentic jazz.

There is at least one live album of every jazz legend that is, well, legendary. The Duke had his 1956 Newport concert, immortalized on Ellington at Newport, Miles Davis was captured live on the Plugged Nickel set and this is the best live Louis Armstrong recording. I was kind of surprised when Louis and his All-Stars revived the Hot 5 classic "Struttin' with some Barbecue." Louis Armstrong(1901-1971) was a great man and friend(unfortunately, I was born much too late to have the great and honorable pleasure to actually meet him. I just tried to make this more dramatic). Well, there goes the subtlety of this review. Oh, and Mr. Alan Kalter, contrary to what you state every night, Chicago is the greatest city in the world and not New York. The two cities were once neck and neck before New York lost it's way and became America's b!*ch.