Jazz Goes Hawaiian [Import]

Louis Armstrong | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Challenge
• ASIN: B00009P57Q
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,669 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars SOMETHING OF A MIXED BAG, January 3, 2011

By 

Barry McCanna (Normandy, France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz Goes Hawaiian (Audio CD)

On the face of it, it was an inspired idea to produce a compilation of jazz bands paying instrumental and/or vocal tribute to the Hawaiian islands, even if some of them had never set foot there! In truth the first two qualify more by virtue of their titles, but things get into the mode with the Castle Farm Serenaders. That warm-up session brings us to the sides made by the Hawaiian-born Andy Iona, both with his Novelty Four and with Sol Hoopi's Novelty Trio, which recordings lean more towards Honolulu than New Orleans.

In early 1930 Louis Armstrong recorded the atmospheric "Song of the Islands" with a backing group that was in effect the Luis Russell Orchestra, and in mid-1936 he teamed up with Andy Iona & his Islanders to record four South Sea-inspired vocals. In between we're treated to King Nawahi's Hawaiians playing "Tickling the Strings", but I wish his "Hawaiian Capers" had been included also. "Ka-lu-a" was written by Jerome Kern for the 1922 show "Good Morning, Dearie" and Spike Hughes' plays a rocking version which has long been a favourite of mine. Red Nichols got in on the act in 1931, and two more sides by Andy Iona from 1934 make the cut. The selection is completed by a 1937 tune from Fats Waller, and three from Manny Klein and his Swing-a-Hulas.

As can be seen, this compilation is something of a mixed bag, which could have benefitted from a more judicious selection, for example by including some of the hot sides recorded in 1940 by Felix Mendelssohn & his Hawaiian Serenaders.

4.0 out of 5 stars lots of 1930's dixieland and Hawaiian potpourri, December 9, 2008

By 

D. Moore (NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz Goes Hawaiian (Audio CD)

I'm a haole in love with Hawaiian music and culture and also Louis Armstrong, so this is something I HAD to have.
Louis Armstrong takes the spotlight on only 4 numbers. Three of his selections are tunes with sweet aloha and for the rest, you'd better like early Hawaiian and dixieland jazz. Hawaiian elements are a nice sampling of falsetto, slack key, steel guitar and chant. Sound quality is not perfect, but overall, it's very enjoyable and a good value.