Louis Armstrong - Sings the Blues [UK Import]

Louis Armstrong Sings The Blues gathers a dozen performances where Satchmo leans into the music that shaped him, from the barrelhouse to Bourbon Street. This edition is a UK import.

First compiled by RCA Victor in 1954, the collection draws on his recordings from the 1930s and 1940s, pairing big band sides with later small-group sessions and songs tied to the 1947 film New Orleans. It is a neat snapshot of how Armstrong carried the blues through every stage of his career, whether fronting an orchestra or trading phrases with a handful of old friends.

The opener, "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues", sets the tone with his trumpet ringing out over a lazy swing. "St. Louis Blues" revisits a standard he helped make famous, while "Rockin' Chair" pairs him with trombonist and singer Jack Teagarden for some of the warmest banter in jazz. "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?" closes the set on a note of pure, aching nostalgia.

That gravel-and-honey voice and his golden trumpet tone are the real attraction, and more than seventy years on they never fail to charm.

It makes an easygoing introduction to Armstrong's blues side, and a lovely record for a slow Sunday morning.