Over the course of his long and illustrious career, Louis Armstrong visited Scandinavia on no less than nine occasions to both tour and record. Amongst the wealth of fabulous recordings he produced on these vists are six tracks thare said to be the world's first live jazz recordings, recorded in Denmark and Sweden during the 1930's.

 

These and many other recordings, some previously unreleased, have been meticulously restored for this 4 CD Armstrong collector's set.

 

Each CD has over 70 minutes of music and is accompanied by a booklet including many unique photographs and comprehensive liner notes from the renowned Armstrong authority, Gosta Hagglof.

“The Lord made only one Louis Armstrong. It took him time, and he’d take even more time to make another one! Just one Louis is enough for this world.” Lionel HAMPTON "The Fremeaux & Associes Complete Series usually feature all the original and available phonographic recordings and the majority of existing radio documents for a comprehensive portrayal of the artist. The Louis Armstrong series is an exception to the rule in that the selection of titles by this American wizard is certainly the most complete as published to this day but does not comprise all his recorded works." Patrick Fremeaux

More than a major figure of the 20th century, Louis Armstrong is an incandescent jazz icon, an architect and pioneering founder of jazz music for half a century. One of the greatest trumpeters, Louis lived in Montmartre for a few years before the war, and he felt quite at home. Paris was a city he adored, and the city loved him back. This exceptional concert shows “Pops” at the summit; radiating good humour, he has the audience eating out of his hand. Patrick FReMEAUX The Live in Paris collection by Michel Brillie allows listeners to hear previously-unreleased recordings (made at concerts and private- or radio-sessions) by the great 20th stars in jazz, rock & roll and song. These “live” takes, and the artists’ rapport with their audiences, gives these performances an additional soul and sensibility in counterpoint to the rigorous demands of studio recordings. Particular care was taken when restoring the sound of these tapes in order to meet CD standards while preserving the original colours of the period. Patrick FReMEAUX & Gilles PeTARD

Experience Louis Armstrong at the height of his powers with this definitive 1959 Copenhagen concert, captured just months before his life changing heart attack. Drawn from newly restored Danish radio tapes, SCCD 36513 showcases Armstrong’s All Stars in explosive form—fiery “Tiger Rag,” soulful “Basin Street Blues,” a powerful “Black and Blue/Do You Know What It Means” medley, and joyous favorites like “Mack the Knife” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Featuring Velma Middleton, Trummy Young, Peanuts Hucko, Billy Kyle, Mort Herbert, and Danny Barcelona, this release reveals Armstrong’s unmatched stamina and emotional depth. Liner notes are by Ricky Riccardi, the Grammy winning Director of Research Collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and one of the world’s leading Armstrong scholars. A major archival addition to the Armstrong discography, presented with SteepleChase’s renowned audio restoration.

The 20th century produced no shortage of legendary instrumentalists and vocalists but Louis Armstrong is the only figure who completely changed the way people played music on their instruments and he completely changed the way people sang. Perfecting the concept of the improvised solo, popularizing the use of scat singing, defining the concept of swing - those are just some of the ways "Satchmo" changed jazz, and American popular music - during his lifetime. The Paramount Recordings is a historic 14-track collection of studio sessions the consummate entertainer tracked between 1923 and 1925, recorded at the time for the Paramount label and featuring King Oliver's Jazz Band, Ma Rainey, Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra, Trixie Smith, Wesley Wilson and Coot Grant. Audio remastered for vinyl and pressed at Pallas Group in Germany. Includes insert with liner notes.

This 1956 concert by Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars is a historical gem, which is finally getting it's vinyl debut with this double LP release. Recorded on March 26, 1956, at the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, MI, it affords jazz fans a chance to hear what the barnstorming Armstrong's shows were like in heartland America. Armstrong's affable presence is pervasive, but not always center stage, as each member of the All-Stars gets his turn in the course of the revue. The release was remastered for vinyl from analog tape and pressed at Pallas Group in Germany on purple vinyl.

Louis Armstrong made a greater impact on American popular music than any other single artist before or since. "What A Wonderful World" became his biggest commercial success, first in the UK and decades later in the rest of the world. Armstrong traveled to England to celebrate this unexpected hit and gave his last great performance, which found him looking back at his entire musical career. That performance, recorded at BBC studios in 1968, was miraculously captured in high fidelity audio and video, and we are proud to release this collection for the first time.

Louis Armstrong made a greater impact on American popular music than any other single artist before or since. "What A Wonderful World" became his biggest commercial success, first in the UK and decades later in the rest of the world. Armstrong traveled to England to celebrate this unexpected hit and gave his last great performance, which found him looking back at his entire musical career. That performance, recorded at BBC studios in 1968, was miraculously captured in high fidelity audio and video, and we are proud to release this collection for the first time.

Part of Dot Time's Legends Series, Louis Armstrong Live in France features the audio from a quintessential European performance by the great Louis Armstrong which was recovered from the archives of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. Louis Armstrong Live in France features the audio from a 1948 performance recorded from Louis Armstrong and His All Stars' run at the Nice Opera House in Paris. This historical concert marked Armstrong's performance at the first ever Nice International Jazz Festival.

Translucent Blue. An absolute treasure, with outstanding sound that brings the great instrumental and vocal prowess of the greatest jazz man ever front and center. Louis has long been recognized as the most influential trumpeter ever, but his vocal talents have often been overlooked.

180-Gram Vinyl Limited Edition. The Real Ambassadors features Louis Armstrong's first and only recorded collaborations with Dave Brubeck (also co-composer and conductor of the album), singer Carmen McRae, and the vocal trio of Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross. The Real Ambassadors project, which delivered a strong political message condemning racism, was an original Broadway play written and composed by Brubeck and his wife Iola. THE COMPLETE ALBUM + 2 BONUS TRACKS 180-GRAM VIRGIN VINYL LIMITED EDITION