“I loved and respected Louis Armstrong. He was born poor, died rich, and never hurt anyone on the way.
-Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress
Finale of a 1959 Timex Jazz Special: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Paul Gonsalves, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Gene Krupa, Jo Jones, Cat Anderson, Vic Dickenson, and more!
The recordings heard on this podcast episode:
Things Ain’t What They Used to Be (CD: “The Second Esquire Jazz Concert” Compact Classic TMCD 2173/74-2)
Recorded 17 January 1945 Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles
Louis Armstrong – trumpet; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Shelton Hemphill, Rex Stewart, Cat Anderson, Taft Jordan, Ray Nance – trumpet Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Claude Jones – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Otto Hardwicke, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Junior Raglin – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
Solitude (CD: “The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions 1935-46” Mosaic Records #243)
Recorded 19 December 1935, New York City
Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocal; Leonard Davis, Gus Aiken, Louis Bacon – trumpet; Harry White, Jimmy Archey – trombone; Henry Jones, Charlie Holmes – alto sax; Bingie Madison, Greely Walton – tenor sax; Luis Russell – piano; Lee Blair – guitar; George “Pops” Foster – bass; Paul Barbarin – drums
Long, Long Journey (CD: ” Esquire’s All-American Hot Jazz Sessions” BMG Music – 6757-1-RB)
Recorded 10 January 1946, New York City
Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocal; Charlie Shavers – trumpet; Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Don Byas – tenor sax; Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn – piano; Remo Palmieri – guitar; Chubby Jackson – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
Wild Man Moore/Battle Royal (CD: “Paris Blues” Rykodisc – RCD 10713)
Recorded 14 December 1960, Paris
Credits: Louis Armstrong – trumpet; Billy Byers – trombone; Guy Lafitte – tenor sax; Jimmy Gourley – guitar; Duke Ellington – piano; with Orchestra.
Azalea
Recorded 3/4 April 3-4 1961, New York City
Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocal; Trummy Young – trombone; Barney Bigard – clarinet; Duke Ellington – piano; Mort Hebert – bass; Danny Barcelona – drums.
Portrait of Mahalia Jackson (CD: “New Orleans Suite” Warner Bros. 7411644)
Recorded 13 May 1970, New York City
Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Fred Stone – trumpet; Booty Wood, Julian Priester, Chuck Connors – trumpet; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.
Mood Indigo (CD: “Louis Armstrong And His Friends” BMG France – 74321747942)
May 26, 1970: New York, NY
Louis Armstrong – vocal; Arnold Black, Selwart Clarke, Winston Collymore, Manny Green, Harry Lookofsky, Gene Orloff, Joe Malin, Max Pollikoff – violins; Julien Barber, Alfred Brown, David Schwartz, Emanuel Vardi – viola; Charles McCracken, Kermit Moore, George Ricci, Allan Schulman – cello; Richard Davis, George Duvivier – bass; John Williams, Jr. – electric bass; Sam Brown, Kenny Burrell – guitar; James Spaulding – flute; Frank Owens – piano; Bernard “Pretty” Purdie – drums; Oliver Nelson – arranger, conductor.
— Our closing music —-
It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)
Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City
Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.
Ellington Reflections 