Recognisable in an instant is Satchmo to almost everyone. Whether you see a picture of movie of him in his younger years or when the grey hairs are peeping through, Louis Armstrong his smile is everywhere. Showing a row of bright teeth when smiling or singing, or using his satchelmouth for getting soulfull sounds out of his trumpet.
This record tells the story of Louis Armstrong in his early thirties. The raw soundof his voice was already there and his trumpet skills had already been recognized across the Atlantic all the way to Europe. That it all came to this point in the first place was a matter of unintended circumstances. Firing a revolver harmlessly in the air on New Year's Eve got him arrested at age 13. In juvenile detention he started playing the cornet in the institution's brass band. Being born and raised in New Orleans he was familiar with jazz, but brass was something new. He developed his trumpet skills and his singing - which he had mainly done as a kid on the streets got gain some money - and moved towards big band towards his 30's which he could combine with a jazz solo.
The cover reminds me of Gatsby and the roaring twenties. These influences are tangible in the music but a twist is added too. Easy, light ragtime sounds, swinging vibes and melodic tunes. The record let's us travel along with Louis through his musical journey. Finding his position in the band, collecting musicians around him for his very first own band, setting the stage for his European tour. Back from that tour the applicable song "I've got the world on a string" is recorded with his very own orchestra. His tenderly approach to the song is kept alive throughout the rest of the record with a variation of relaxed almost nostalgic tunes, yet skillfull and musically clever. Sit back, have a drink, some snacks, a good book or an animated conversation or even try your luck swaying lightly around the room. Louis has you covered.
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