In the summer and fall of 1957, Louis Armstrong,
already one of the most important musicians of the 20th century, had one of the
most prolific periods of his spirited career. In addition to recording the
follow-ups to his highly successful duets album with Ella Fitzgerald, Ella And
Louis Again and Porgy and Bess, Armstrong recorded three albums for Norman
Granz's newly minted Verve Records across a handful of incredibly productive sessions.
For the first time, these records – I've Got The World On A String, Louis Under
The Stars, both recorded with the Russ Garcia Orchestra, and Louis Armstrong
Meets Oscar Peterson, plus the previous digital-only release A Day With Satchmo
– have been collected together as Pops Is Tops: The Verve Studio Albums, a new
four CD and digital box set from Verve/UMe available on April 13. With Granz
supplying the cream of the crop of the Great American Song Book and first-class
backing, Armstrong's Verve recordings constitute the definitive portrait of the
artistry of his singing. They are presented in their original mono masters –
the first time since the original vinyl releases – and include the original
liner notes as well as extensive liners, recording and track info by foremost
Armstrong authority Ricky Riccardi, Director of Research Collections for the
Louis Armstrong House Museum and author of "What A Wonderful World: The
Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years." Each disc also contains a wealth
of bonus material featuring alternate takes from the sessions. Preorder is
available now and the digital version includes an instant grat download of
"Sweet Lorraine" from Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson.
Armstrong's
classic duets with Ella Fitzgerald will also be released as a new four CD and
digital set titled Cheek To Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings, on April 6.
The 75-track collection gathers their three timeless Verve albums – newly
remastered versions of Ella and Louis, Ella and Louis Again and Porgy and Bess
– along with all of their Decca singles, live recordings from Jazz at the
Hollywood Bowl, recorded as a warmup for Ella and Louis, plus several
alternates and false starts from the Decca and Verve eras, illuminating their
craft and good humor. Cheek To Cheek also includes unreleased material:
"The Memphis Blues," with Bing Crosby, from his radio show; several
takes of Armstrong's solo showcase, "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess;" and
an instrumental mix of "Red-Headed Woman."
By 1957,
Armstrong was the most popular and influential musician in jazz history. Famous
worldwide as Satchmo and Pops, Armstrong had revolutionized jazz in the 1920s
with his superb trumpet playing which helped to change jazz from an
ensemble-oriented music to one that featured exciting soloists. His phrasing on
both trumpet and his very distinctive voice uplifted and swung every song that
he interpreted. In the 1930s and early 1940s when he led a big band, Armstrong
the entertainer blossomed. He was not only universally known for his musical
abilities but as a joyful and witty personality who could be seen in occasional
movies. In 1947, he broke up his orchestra and formed his sextet Louis
Armstrong and the All-Stars, becoming a world traveler who was nicknamed
Ambassador Satch. He introduced millions of listeners to his brand of New
Orleans jazz.
Armstrong
first worked with Granz and his Verve label at a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
on August 15, 1956. Over the next year, he was featured on three classic
projects with Ella Fitzgerald. Granz, who wanted to document Armstrong in
different settings than his usual one with his All Stars, also recorded him on
five extensive sessions in 1957 that cast a different light on his talents.
During
August 14-16, 1957, Armstrong and an orchestra arranged by Russ Garcia recorded
enough music to fill two albums which were originally released as I've Got The
World On A String and Louis Under The Stars. As Granz had planned, Armstrong
performs a variety of songs that he had rarely sung before including
"You're The Top," "You Turned The Tables On Me,"
"Little Girl Blue" and "We'll Be Together Again." He consistently
comes up with fresh variations of the swing era songs, many of which he had
missed recording the first time around. The first disc of Pops Is Tops not only
has the ten selections that comprised I've Got The World On A String but also
includes eight alternate takes.
The original
liner notes to Louis Under The Stars reveals the thought behind the record.
"There isn't much that one can say about this kind of an album, except to
suggest that this is an emotional experience of the best-known and best-loved
figure in the history of jazz doing some of the most beautiful songs ever
written with a background not customarily thought of in terms of his artistry,
but which nonetheless beautifully complements the soul and feeling of this
great human being." The recordings don't disappoint and include highlights
like "Have You Met Miss Jones," "I Only Have Eyes For You"
and "East Of The Sun," each of which received a fresh and heartfelt
interpretation from Armstrong. The eight song album is bolstered by six
additional bonus tracks.
Louis
Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson from October 14, 1957 teams Armstrong with the
brilliant pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and
drummer Louie Bellson. On such songs as "That Old Feeling,"
"Let's Fall In Love," "I Was Doing All Night," "Moon
Song" (which has a particularly memorable trumpet solo) and "Just One
Of Those Things," Armstrong gives new life to the veteran standards,
swinging the music while doing justice to the lyrics. Four bonus cuts including
an instrumental version of "Indiana" are also included on the disc.
On August 1,
1957, Armstrong and the same Peterson Quartet recorded four numbers for the
Ella and Louis Again release: "Makin' Whoopee," "I Get A Kick
Out Of You," "Let's Do It" and "Willow Weep For Me."
The many alternate takes that resulted were formerly only available on the
digital release A Day With Satchmo. This set marks the first time the entire
contents of the August 1 session tapes are out in any physical form.
As Riccardi
writes in the liners: "Armstrong's Verve recordings are unlike any others
in his discography and Granz must be given full credit for taking jazz's
greatest genius, surrounding him with the finest rhythm sections, giving him
nothing by timeless tunes, and stepping aside to let Armstrong's vocal and
instrumental magic take over. In the midst of a punishing schedule and
occasionally fighting a losing battle with his legendary lip, Armstrong nobly
overcame it all to create some of the most timeless recordings of his
career."
Pops Is
Tops: The Verve Studio Albums
Disc 1
I've Got The
World On A String original mono album
1. When Your Love Has Gone
2. You're the Top
3. You Turned the Tables on Me
4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
5. Little Girl Blue
6. Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
7. We'll Be Together Again
8. I've Got the World on a String
9. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
10. I Gotta
Right to Sing the Blues
Bonus Tracks
11. You
Turned the Tables on Me (stereo master take)
12. Little
Girl Blue (stereo master take)
13. You
Turned the Tables on Me (alternate take 1 w/false start)
14. You
Turned the Tables on Me (partial alternate take 3)
15. You
Turned The Tables On Me (inserts & rehearsal)
16. I've Got
the World on a String (false start/alternate take 2)
17. I Gotta
Right to Sing the Blues (false start/breakdown takes 2 & 3)
18. I Gotta
Right to Sing the Blues (alternate take 4)
Disc 2
Louis Under
The Stars original mono album
1. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
2. Have You Met Miss Jones?
3. I Only Have Eyes For You
4. Stormy Weather
5. Home (When Shadows Fall)
6. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)
7. You're Blasé
8. Body and Soul
Bonus Tracks
9. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)
(stereo master take)
10. Body And
Soul (stereo master take)
11. Stormy
Weather (breakdown/alternate take 2)
12. Stormy
Weather (alternate take 3)
13. Stormy
Weather (breakdown 4)
14. Stormy
Weather (breakdown 5)
Disc 3
Louis
Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson original mono album
1. That Old Feeling
2. Let's Fall in Love
3. I'll Never Be the Same
4. Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me)
5. How Long Has This Been Going On?
6. I Was Doing All Right
7. What's New?
8. Moon Song
9. Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter)
10. There's
No You
11. You Go
to My Head
12. Sweet
Lorraine
Bonus Tracks
13. Blues in
the Night (rehearsal 1)
14. Let's
Fall In Love (alternate take 1)
15. Let's
Fall In Love (alternate take 2)
Additional
Bonus Track
16. Indiana
(studio warm-up)
Disc 4
A Day With
Satchmo: August 1, 1957
1. Makin' Whoopee (breakdown)
2. Makin' Whoopee (alternate take 1)
3. Makin' Whoopee (alternate take 2)
4. Makin' Whoopee (breakdown 3)
5. Makin' Whoopee (master take 4)
6. I Get a Kick Out of You
7. I Get a Kick Out of You (breakdown and
studio chatter 3)
8. I Get a Kick Out of You (alternate take
4)
9. I Get a
Kick Out of You (breakdown 5)
10. I Get a
Kick Out of You (false start 6)
11. I Get a
Kick Out of You (false start 7)
12. I Get a
Kick Out of You (master take 8)
13. I Get a
Kick Out of You (breakdowns and false starts 9-12)
14. I Get a
Kick Out of You (alternate take 13)
15. Let's Do
It (Let's Fall in Love) (breakdowns 1 and 2)
16. Let's Do
It (Let's Fall In Love) (alternate take 3)
17. Let's Do
It (Let's Fall In Love) (master take 4)
18. Willow
Weep for Me (false start 1)
19. Willow
Weep for Me (alternate take 2)
20. Willow
Weep for Me (breakdown and false start 3)
21. Willow
Weep For Me (alternate take 4)
22. Willow
Weep for Me (false start 5)
23. Willow
Weep for Me (breakdown 6)
24. Willow
Weep For Me (master take 7)
Produced by
Norman Granz
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