"French jazz historians can be an extremely passionate and devoted bunch and a perfect example is the Intégrale Louis Armstrong (The Complete Louis Armstrong) series. Since 2007, Frémeaux & Associes has been reissuing the seminal trumpeter’s recordings in chronological order; Vol. 1 started at the beginning with Armstrong’s 1923-24 output and the ninth volume brings the series up to the late 30s-early ‘40s. Offering no less than 68 tracks, radio broadcasts along with studio recordings for Decca, Armstrong is heard in the presence of some important artists of that time, including the Casa Loma Orchestra on two Hoagy Carmichael standards (“Lazy Bones” and “Rockin’ Chair”), Benny Goodman’s big band on a radio performance of Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and the Mills Brothers on a live broadcast of Slim & Slam’s “The Flat Foot Floogie”. Equally noteworthy are several 1938 performances on the radio program of Martin Block, who brought Armstrong into his studio along with trombonist Jack Teagarden, pianist Fats Waller and other jazz heavyweights of the pre-bop era. Many of the Decca recordings find Armstrong leading his big band, but there are also eight 1941 small group recordings credited to Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven. Of course, the original Hot Seven was a legendary septet that Armstrong led in 1927, but the 1941 edition is hardly a carbon copy. The lineup is different (George Washington, Prince Robinson, Luis Russell, Lawrence Lucie, John Williams and Sid Catlett) and Armstrong favors small-group swing that is clearly of the early ‘40s variety. When this edition of the Hot Seven is performing “I Cover the Waterfront”, “Do You Call That a Buddy?”, “In the Gloaming”, “Everything’s Been Done Before” or “Hey, Lawdy Mama”, there is nothing nostalgic about their approach. This triple-disc (which offers comprehensive, informative liner notes in both English and French) is recommended only to a true collector who needs to hear four different recordings of “Jeepers Creepers”, strictly for those who have an interest in Armstrong that goes well beyond the basic or the superficial."
by Alex HENDERSON - THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
by Alex HENDERSON - THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
