LOUIS ARMSTRONG & HIS HOT FIVE & HOT SEVEN - 1926-1927 {CC, 585} (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five was the most influential jazz band of the mid-'20s. The first volume of Armstrong's complete works reissued by Classics followed this group's trail of recordings from November of 1925 through those made almost exactly one year later. Opening this second volume of vintage Armstrong, the Hot Five's last three records of 1926 are peppered with hot vocals intended to entertain and amuse. May Alix shouts the lyrics to "Sunset Cafe Stomp" and Armstrong puts across an interesting tune referencing two downtrodden ethnic groups, Irish and Afro-American. "You Made Me Love You" is not the venerable vaudeville number recorded by Al Jolson in 1913, but a punchy Armstrong original similar to the quaint syncopated love songs he had cooked up with Lil Hardin when they were still working for King Oliver. In May 1927 Armstrong expanded his ensemble for the first time to become the Hot Seven. The addition of Pete Briggs on tuba and Baby Dodds at the drums resulted in a full-bodied sound that made "Willie the Weeper" and "Potato Head Blues" so remarkably and enduringly potent. Armstrong's version of Fats Waller's "Alligator Crawl" is a miracle of perfect timing and immaculate ease. If Lil Hardin Armstrong's references to domestic violence seem a bit reckless during "That's When I'll Come Back to You," listeners should be advised that Afro-American music has always caused consternation by openly referring to topics usually swept under the rug. During the autumn and winter of 1927 Armstrong scaled his band back to five pieces, revisiting Kid Ory's 1922 novelty rag "Ory's Creole Trombone," adding a sixth player in guitarist Lonnie Johnson on "I'm Not Rough," and introducing to the world one of Lil Hardin Armstrong's all-time greatest compositions, "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." by arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1     Sunset Cafe Stomp 2:53
Louis Armstrong / Percy Venable
2     You Made Me Love You 2:59
Louis Armstrong / Percy Venable
3     Irish Black Bottom 2:45
Louis Armstrong / Percy Venable
4     Willie the Weeper 3:10
Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose / Grant Rymal
5     Wild Man Blues 3:17
Louis Armstrong / Jelly Roll Morton
6     Chicago Breakdown 3:27
Big Maceo Merriweather / Jelly Roll Morton
7     Alligator Crawl 3:05
Joe Davis / Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
8     Potato Head Blues 2:58
Louis Armstrong
9     Melancholy Blues 3:04
Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose / Elmer Schoebel
10     Weary Blues 3:03
Artie Matthews
11     Twelfth Street Rag 3:12
Euday L. Bowman
12     Keyhole Blues 3:31
Wesley Wilson
13     S.O.L. Blues 2:59
Louis Armstrong
14     Gully Low Blues 3:22
Louis Armstrong
15     That's When I'll Come Back to You 3:00
F. Biggs / Frank Biggs
16     Put 'Em Down Blues 3:12
E. Bennett / E.J. Bennett
17     Ory's Creole Trombone 3:06
Edwin H. Morris / Kid Ory
18     The Last Time 3:27
Bill Ewing / Sara Martin
19     Struttin' with Some Barbecue 3:04
Lil Hardin Armstrong / Louis Armstrong / Lil Hardin / Don Raye
20     Got No Blues 3:22
Lil Hardin Armstrong / Lil Hardin
21     Once in a While 3:14
William Butler
22     I'm Not Rough 2:59
Lil Hardin
23     Hotter Than That 3:01
Lil Hardin Armstrong / Lil Hardin
24     Savoy Blues 3:24
Kid Ory