Some of
Louis Armstrong's better Decca recordings from the 1936-1938 period are reissued on this CD. Inferior to the much more "complete" series undertaken by the European Classics label, this set nevertheless does have some classics from Satchmo including two versions of "Swing That Music," a remake of "Mahogany Hall Stomp," "Once in a While," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Jubilee," and "Struttin' With Some Barbeque." The backup band (the remains of
Luis Russell's Orchestra) does not have a great deal to do, although trombonist
J.C. Higginbottham gets in a few good solos. But this is largely
Armstrong's show (both instrumentally and vocally) and he comes up with some masterful statements. ~ Scott Yanow