Cocktail Hour: Louis Armstrong [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Louis Armstrong, Cocktail Hour (Series)

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 4, 1999
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Columbia River Ent.
• ASIN: B00000IXJW
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #474,503 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. My Heart

2. Yes! I'm in the Barrel

3. Gut Bucket Blues

4. Come Back Sweet Papa

5. Heebie Jeebies

6. Cornet Chop Suey

7. Oriental Strut

8. Muskrat Ramble

9. Don't Forget to Mess Around

10. Sweet Little Papa

11. Skid-Dat-De-Dat

12. You Made Me Love You

13. Savoy Blues

14. Basin Street Blues

15. When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)

16. I'm a Ding Dong Daddy (From Dumas)

17. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)

18. Body and Soul

19. Just a Gigolo

20. I Surrender, Dear

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little of everything, January 7, 2000

By	Katharine Clark (Davis, CA) - See all my reviews

The best thing about this album is the range. The first disk is mostly the talented playing of Mr. Armstrong which is followed in the second disc by his familiar and chracteristic voice. Much of the set are old favorites such as "Heebie Jeebies" and "On The Sunny Side Of The Street". But among these well known classics are a few gems thrown in, very armstrong and very good. This set of 28 songs is ideal for the listener just starting his Armstrong collection and it is sure to be well used.