Louis Armstrong - Louis In London (2024)

Louis In London is a live album of a concert Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars recorded for the BBC on July 2, 1968. It was first aired by the network on September 22, 1968.

Armstrong died in 1971 and his health was already taking a a sad turn when this concert took place. It's often been called his last great performance because his health deteriorated significantly shortly thereafter, and his ability to tour was severely limited.

When the great tumpeter and singer received a tape recording of his London show he marked it "for the fans" because he was so proud of it. He also made copies on his recently installed high-end Tandberg tape system for each member of the All-Stars.

In 1970, nine of the thirteen tracks from this new CD were released on LP as Louis Armstrong's Greatest Hits Recorded Live on Brunswick Records in both America and in the UK.

The CD was digitally transfered form the original BBC telecast recording and not from Armstrong's old reel-to-reel tapes which means the sound on this monophonic performance is impeccable. You'll believe it was recorded yesterday.

In the years immediately leading up to the London gig, the great man suffered from dental problems and the subsequent surgery may have accounted for Armstrong featuring his unique singing over his trumpet playing that still sounded fantastic in its supporting role. The star's emphasis on vocals makes both the TV program and the album feel more like an act of showmanship than a jazz concert, but the quality of the band's musicianship and Armstrong's singing make Louis In London a can't miss experience from the man who probably did more than anyone else in history to popularize both the trumpet and jazz music.

The concert opened with Satchmo's theme song, "When It's Sleepy Time Down South." "There were two instrumentals featuring the All-Stars, "Indiana" and "Ole Miss" intersperesd with "A Kiss To Build A Dream On," "Bluberry Hill," "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel, "Mack The Knife," "Mame," an oustanding version of "Hello Dolly" and his huge, 1968, British, #1 hit that was still an obscurity in America, "What A Wonderful World." The set also included "Rockin' Chair" and Disney's "The Bare Necessities." The band closed the evening with another Armstrong standard, "When The Saints Go Marching In."

This late version of the All-Stars included Tyree Glenn on trombone and vocals, Joe Muranyi on clarinet, and Marty Napolean on piano. The group was rounded out by bassist Buddy Catlett and drummer Danny Barcelona.

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