The Very Best Of../2vrv

Louis (nicknamed Satchmo) is best remembered in Britain for What a wonderful world, which topped the UK charts in the sixties, and We have all the love in the world, which came close to providing Louis with a second chart-topper in the nineties following its use in a TV commercial.

The album includes several duets, with partners including Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Louis Jordan, two live tracks with Velma Middleton (Don't fence me in and Baby it's cold outside) and six tracks with Ella Fitzgerald. The Louis and Ella duets include Summertime, Tenderly and Stars fell on Alabama.

Most people remember Blueberry hill as a Fats Domino rock'n'roll song but it was originally an American hit for Glenn Miller. Dream a little dream is a song that was written in the thirties but is most commonly associated with the Mamas and Papas, who revived it with great success in the sixties. Among the other classic songs here are Hello Dolly, Jeepers creepers, Alexander's ragtime band, Stormy weather, Making whoopee, When the saints go marching in, Mack the knife and Ain't misbehaving, just to name a few.

It is, of course, impossible to include more than a sample of his great recordings on this set so it is quite possible that some of your favorites are missing, but this collection of the great man's music is about as good as you will find on two CD's.


music that changed the world   December 16, 2002
 19 out of 19 found this review helpful

I was only 12 when Louis died and only came to know his music much later. I'd always liked what I'd heard - but buying this album about a year ago was a revelation. I've never heard such a perfect synthesis of jazz/pop/folk. Beautiful songs (both classics and the more obscure), perfectly arranged, with such wonderful collaborators (ie Ella Fitzegerald)- topped by Louis' passionate voice and extradordinary trumpet. Awesome. The music spans the 1920s to the 1960s but my favourite is the 1939 Jepeers Creepers (fascinating to think it was a hit on the outbreak of WW2)- closely followed by Basin St Blues, Tophat and Tails, I'm in the Mood for Love - and on and on. This is a great compilation with a wealth of material - and well mixed with the early and later stuff nicely balanced. Inevitably, I'd like to replace one or two songs on the album with a couple left out... but a tiny fault. This record defines the parameters of almost all contemporary music.


Brilliant inspiring and masterful a work of art.   February 12, 2001
 41 out of 51 found this review helpful

A brilliant piece of music, not music but art louis armstrong has probably got one of the most brilliant voices in jazz if not the world.I think his work is senstional and inspiring he is most definetly one of the alltime great favourites of jazz, I certainly know that he has influenced me to look harder into jazz and see what it was really created for relaxing and realising what a wonderful world we live in . Louis Armstrong expresses what most people are ashamed to say. His voice is more powerful than a ton of bricks and it bowls you over just to listen to it.Not only has he got a great voice he has the most astounding ability to play music. I think we should honour and gratify someone of this stature and brilliant nature not only does he win us over with his music but also the warming smiles that you see on his pictures and it shows you he doesn't want it for the money but for the gratification of making music. Someone like this should be loved cherished and most of all respected for all eternity. Thankyou for taking the time to read my review and i would like to point out that i am only a boy of thirteen and that i have a very great matter of respect for Mr Armstrong and find it most gratifying to listen to his music. Thankyou once again