Surprisingly nice later work from Louis Armstrong – well-recorded small combo recordings of tracks he first performed with King Oliver – handled by a group with Peanuts Hucko, Trummy Young, Billy Kyle, Mort Herbert, and Danny Barcelona. Titles include "St James Infirmary", "Frankie & Johnny", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "A Hot Time In Old Town Tonight", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Chimes Blues", "Big Butter & Egg Man", "Jelly Roll Blues", "Dr Jazz", "Drop That Sack", and "Panama". LP, Vinyl record album

17 tracks with Louis singing. CD

Recorded between 1932 & 1956. CD

Two excellent vocal albums that Louis cut for Verve – some of the best of his career, and both graced with amazing arrangements by Russ Garcia! The sound's a lot purer than some of the pop vocal albums that Louis cut for other labels, like Decca – and he both sings and plays trumpet on tracks like "When Your Lover Has Gone", "We'll Be Together Again", "You Turned The Tables On Me", "I've Got The World On A String", "Top Hat White Tie & Tails", "Home", "East Of The Sun", "Stormy Weather", and "Have You Met Miss Jones". CD

Features small group tracks with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Louis Bellson, plus big band material with Russ Garcia & His Orchestra. CD

Featuring Frank Assunto on trumpet, Fred Assunto on trombone, Jack Assunto on Banjo, Richar Matteson on tuba, Jerry Fuller on clarinet, Owen Mahoney on drums, and Stanley Mendelsohn on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

Louis Armstrong hits the Flying Dutchman label – and unlocks a whole new spiritual side of his talents – a mode that's quite different than some of his crossover pop of the 60s! The style here has a bit of righteous elements in the lyrics, and lots of spiritual jazz in the backings – with full arrangements from Oliver Nelson – who heads up a dream lineup that includes Billy Harper on tenor, and either Chico Hamilton or Pretty Purdie on drums! Even more amazing is a guest appearance from Leon Thomas – who sings on a version of "The Creator Has A Master Plan". Other tunes are just as hip – and include "The Black Cat Has 9 Lives", "His Father Wore Long Hair", "Give Peace A Chance", and "We Shall Overcome". Must be heard to be believed! CD

Gentle-going genius from the later years of Satchmo's career – a session that has Louis on trumpet and vocals, backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio! Peterson's usual group with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown is expanded slightly for this outing – bringing in Louis Bellson on drums to syncopate the tunes a bit more strongly, and give them that gently swinging rhythm that always works well with Armstrong's style. The real surprise, though, is Louis' voice – which is simple, almost elegant at times – and free from some of the gimmicks of other 50s sessions, or the too-playful style of his better-known duets of the period. We really love his gentle, honest approach to the lyrics here – on tunes that include "I'll Never Be The Same", "Moon Song", "What's New", "There's No You", "You Go To My Head", "That Old Feeling", and "Let's Fall In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A selection of tracks from the famous Verve duets between Ella and Louis! CD

Mostly tracks by the early tenor sax player Paul Howard – but the set also features a version of "Blue Yodel No 9", with vocals by Jimmie Rodgers and trumpet from Louis Armstrong! LP, Vinyl record album

18 performances from the mid to late 20s. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A collection of big band recordings, mostly from 1946 and 1947, with one session from 1956. Notable sidemen include Kid Ory, Jack Teagarden, Vic Dickenson, Si Zentner, Lucky Thompson, and many more. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic live date, with players who include Jack Teagarden on vocals and trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Dick Cary on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Sid Catlett on drums – plus a bit of vocals from Velma Middleton. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's maybe even nicer than the Ella & Louis work together on Porgy & Bess – given that backing is by the trio of Oscar Peterson, which gives the whole thing a nicely understated charm – at a level that really lets the charms of the duo shine through! CD

That's Loos/Armstrong, not Louis Armstrong – a late 90s Dutch group who improvise freely on both electric and acoustic elements – with a style that makes the record one of the most offbeat albums ever released on the Okka Disk label! In some ways, the combo almost tie together Dutch traditions of free jazz and electronic experimentation – with a lineup that features Gerald Bowhuis on piano, Huib Emmer on guitar, Johan Faber on drums, Patricio Wang on bass and guitar, and Dennis Rudge on voice – plus leader Peter Van Bergen on tenor, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, and some mighty cool electronics! At times, the use of voice adds almost a no wave element to the set – and on the set, Rudge reads from Sun Ra's "Endless Realm" , and "Amooooore", a 1916 text from Volt – on titles that include "FTE 1", "FA5 1", "FA 3", and "FL 1". CD

Two groovy Doc Severinson albums – back to back on a single CD! Rhapsody For Now is kind of a cool concept album for Doc Severinsen – one that has him blowing amidst some larger suites arranged by Oliver Nelson, Harry Betts, and Tommy Newsom – each with a slightly different feel! The set starts out with the hip "Rhapsody For Now" – comprised of some cool 70s tunes like "Live & Let Die", "Soul Makossa", "Shambala", and "Touch Me In The Morning" – done up in hip big band arrangements by Nelson that are totally great. The same groove follows in the shorter "Pictures", arranged by Lenny Stack – which is a sweet funky number! "Rhapsody For Then" is next – but the "then" is really just the late 60s – as Severinson blows trumpet over big band versions of "California Dreamin", "Look Of Love", "A Song For You", and "Sweet Caroline". The set ends with straighter jazz on "I Remember Louis" – a suite of tunes associated with Louis Armstrong, but still given a pretty 70s twist in the arrangements. Doc is a set of upbeat, jazzy ditties all arranged by Dick Hyman – with a brightly swinging feel that's a hip mix of late 60s mod and early 70s funk! Doc's brassy sound is perfect for the setting – and he really polishes off the top of Hyman's arrangements nicely – never stretching out too far in his solos, nor straying to far from the melodies – but always providing more than enough "voice" with his horn to deepen the cuts past standard instrumental modes. Titles include "Liberia", "Theme From Portnoy's Complaint", "Living Free", "Bonnie", "The Godfather Waltz", "Lucky Me", "I Only Want To say", and "Theme From Summer Of 42". CD

Collects work by trombonist Jack Teagarden with Eddie's Hot Shots, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Fats Waller & His Buddies, the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Louis Armstrong All Stars, and the Bud Freeman Orchestra. CD

Some of the earliest work from this famous bandleader – one of the kings of early small combo jazz! Early 78s recorded for Okeh – including work by Louis Armstrong! CD

Includes music from Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra, Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Earl Hines & His Orchestra, and Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra – 22 tracks in all. CD

features Louis Armstrong, Barney Bigard, Chubby Jackson, Lucky Thompson, Buck Clayton and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Bessie Smith, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, Red Onion Jazz Babies, Sidney Bechet & his Blue Note Jazz Men, James P. Johnson, Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven, Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra & Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra – 23 tracks in all. CD

Music from Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Duke Ellington, Chick Corea, Wes Montgomery, Nina Simone, Bill Evans, Erroll Garner & more. CD

Esquire All-Star jazz sessions from the mid 40s – with work from Charlie Shavers, Louis Armstrong, Don Byas, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Colemank Hawkins, Lucky Thompson, and many others! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic double-dip into the mighty catalog of Flying Dutchman Records – one of the hippest early 70s imprints in the worlds of jazz, soul, and funk! The blend of music here is great – as the collection features some key cuts by the bigger names on the label, plus some overlooked gems that really get at the all-great spirit of their recordings – pulled together with a vibe that matches the upbeat, positive spirit of the many other entries in the Free Soul series from Japan! There's plenty of vocal cuts on the collection, but some instrumentals too – and the 2CD package features 39 tracks in all, over 160 minutes of music – with titles that include "Money Honey" by Esther Marrow, "Love Each Other" by Leon Thomas, "Soulful Strut" by Steve Allen, "Heavy Soul Slinger" by Bernard Purdie, "When You Are Who You Are" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Bridges" by Cesar 830, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong, "A Chance For Peace" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Head Start" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Tite Rope" by Harold Alexander, "Nicole" by The Cyrkle, "From This Moment On" by Shelly Manne, "He Don't Appreciate It" by Esther Marrow, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "Just In Time To See The Sun" by Leon Thomas, "This Is The Me Me" by Richard Groove Holmes, "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott-Heron, "El Arriero" by Gato Barbieri, "Footprints" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Gypsy Queen" by Count Basie, and "See Saw Affair" by Cesar 830. CD

A special set of music that focuses on the role of the legendary trumpeters who worked in the band of Fletcher Henderson – musicians who include Louis Armstrong, Rex Stewart, Bobby Stark, Roy Eldridge, Joe Smith, and Tommy Ladnier – all presented here with well-done remastering that offers up their performances with a vibrancy that maybe surpasses other collections of his music! The sonic shift is subtle – these sides never sound too clean or coldly processed – and there's a definite presence of the trumpets, which are sometimes lost in some of the older mixes – in recordings that also feature contributions from Coleman Hawkins on tenor, and vocals from both Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. The 3CD collection is filled with gems from one of the most important groups in early jazz – 71 tracks in all, with notes in French and English. CD

A fantastic double-dip into the mighty catalog of Flying Dutchman Records – one of the hippest early 70s imprints in the worlds of jazz, soul, and funk! The blend of music here is great – as the collection features some key cuts by the bigger names on the label, plus some overlooked gems that really get at the all-great spirit of their recordings – pulled together with a vibe that matches the upbeat, positive spirit of the many other entries in the Free Soul series from Japan! There's plenty of vocal cuts on the collection, but some instrumentals too – and the 2CD package features 39 tracks in all, over 160 minutes of music – with titles that include "Money Honey" by Esther Marrow, "Love Each Other" by Leon Thomas, "Soulful Strut" by Steve Allen, "Heavy Soul Slinger" by Bernard Purdie, "When You Are Who You Are" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Bridges" by Cesar 830, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong, "A Chance For Peace" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Head Start" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Tite Rope" by Harold Alexander, "Nicole" by The Cyrkle, "From This Moment On" by Shelly Manne, "He Don't Appreciate It" by Esther Marrow, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "Just In Time To See The Sun" by Leon Thomas, "This Is The Me Me" by Richard Groove Holmes, "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott-Heron, "El Arriero" by Gato Barbieri, "Footprints" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Gypsy Queen" by Count Basie, and "See Saw Affair" by Cesar 830. CD

Funky soul, righteous jazz, and hip production made the Flying Dutchman label one of the greatest imprints of the early 70s! The label was the brainchild of producer Bob Thiele, and was a post-60s project to bring together unheard voices in African American culture – recording heavily in a number of genres that included jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – cutting records that were destined to become instant classics, most of which are still pretty darn influential today! This set does a great job of starting to unpack the wealth of work on Flying Dutchman – bringing together tracks by a few familiar acts, and other lesser-known artists, a few who have rarely been reissued. Titles include "Carnavalito" and "Maria Domingas" by Gato Barbieri, "Mama" and "Chains Of Love" by Esther Marrow", "Baja Bossa" by Oliver Nelson, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by Pretty Purdie, "Save The Children" and "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong & Leon Thomas, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Footprints" and "Astral Travelin" by Lonnie Liston Smith. CD