IMPORTANT DISCOVERY OF RECORDINGS BY JAZZ GENIUS LOUIS ARMSTRONG
A previously unknown concert, virtually complete and in fine quality sound, of Louis Armstrong and the All-Stars has recently come to light. Recorded on 8th May 1954 at the University of North Carolina Memorial Hall with a line-up that includes a little- known drummer, Kenny John, who made only one recording session (4 titles) with the All-Stars. The rest of the line-up is familiar to all Armstrong devotees: Trummy Young, Barney Bigard, Billy Kyle, Arvell Shaw and Velma Middleton. Everybody is on great form and the atmosphere of the occasion is beautifully captured. The tapes have survived well with only minor audible problems: it is a particularly important find as so few Armstrong concert performances from the early to mid 1950s exist. AVID Entertainment are delighted to make it available.
Making up the balance of this 2 CD Set are Armstrong recordings from the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival (their first commercial release) scarce 1945 concert performances featuring Sidney Bechet and James P. Johnson in Armstrong’s line-up and a soundtrack excerpt from a seldom-seen 1937 film 'Artists And Models'. The latter is also receiving ist first commercial audio release
Tracklist:
CD 1:
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA 8th MAY 1954
FIRST SET
1. Introductions
2. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South
3. Back Home Again In Indiana
4. A Kiss To Build A Dream On
5. The Bucket’s Got A Hole In It
6. Bluberry Hill
7. Tin Roof Blues
8. Struttin’ With Some Barbecue
9. ‘S Wonderful
10. All The Things You Are
11. The Man I Love
12. Margie
13. Big Mama’s Back In Town
14. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
15. Stompin’ At The Savoy
16. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South

CD 2:
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA 8th MAY 1954
SECOND SET
1. Introduction & announcement
2. New Orleans Function: Flee As A Bird / Didn’t He Ramble
3. C’Est Si Bon
4. Lazy River
5. Medley: Shadrack / When The Saints Go Marchin’ In
6. High Society
7. Pennies From Heaven
8. The Dummy Song
NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL 6th JULY 1956
9. Stompin’ At The Savoy
10. Undecided
11. Big Mama’s Back In Town
12. Ko Ko Mo / Mop Mop
13. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South
2nd ESQUIRE JAZZ CONCERT 17th JANUARY 1945
14. Back O’ Town Blues
15. Arkansas Blues
16. I’m Confessing That I Love You
17. Dear Old Southland
SOUNDTRACK EXCERPT OCTOBER 1937
18. Public Melody Number One
Released 2006.