Photo of Armstrong in 1936

The Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions were recorded between 1925 and 1928 by Louis Armstrong with his Hot Five and Hot Seven groups. According to the National Recording Registry,[1] "Louis Armstrong was jazz's first great soloist and is among American music's most important and influential figures. These sessions, his solos in particular, set a standard musicians still strive to equal in their beauty and innovation." These recordings were added to the National Recording Registry in 2002, the first year of the institution's existence.

Ron Wynn and Bruce Boyd Raeburn, writing for the All Music Guide to Jazz, note that "these recordings radically altered jazz's focus; instead of collective playing, Armstrong's spectacular instrumental (and vocal) improvisations redefined the music."[2] Armstrong helped popularize scat singing in "Heebie Jeebies," and his solo on "Potato Head Blues" helped establish the stop-time technique in jazz.[2]

Recordings

1925–1926 Hot Five recordings

  1. "My Heart" (Lil Armstrong)
  2. "Yes! I'm in the Barrel"
  3. "Gut Bucket Blues"
  4. "Come Back Sweet Papa" (Paul Barbarin, Luis Russell)
  5. "Georgia Grind" (Spencer Williams)
  6. "Heebie Jeebies" (Boyd Atkins)
  7. "Cornet Chop Suey"
  8. "Oriental Strut" (Johnny St. Cyr)
  9. "You're Next"
  10. "Muskrat Ramble" (Kid Ory)
    "Heebie Jeebies" by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five
  11. "Don't Forget to Mess Around" (Armstrong, Barbarin)
  12. "I'm Gonna Gitcha" (Lil Hardin)
  13. "Droppin' Shucks" (Hardin)
  14. "Who' Sit" (Richard M. Jones)
  15. "He Likes It Slow" (J. Edwards)
  16. "The King of the Zulus" (Lil Armstrong)
  17. "Big Fat Ma and Skinny Pa" (Richard M. Jones)
  18. "Lonesome Blues" (Hardin)
  19. "Sweet Little Papa" (Ory)
  20. "Jazz Lips" (Hardin)
  21. "Skid-Dat-De-Dat" (Hardin)
  22. "Big Butter and Egg Man" (Armstrong, Percy Venable)
  23. "Sunset Cafe Stomp" (Armstrong, Venable)
  24. "You Made Me Love You" (Armstrong, Venable)
  25. "Irish Black Bottom" (Armstrong, Venable)

1927 Hot Seven recordings

  1. "Willie the Weeper" (Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose)
  2. "Wild Man Blues" (Armstrong, "Jelly Roll" Morton)
  3. "Chicago Breakdown" (Morton)
  4. "Alligator Crawl" (Joe Davis, Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller)
  5. "Potato Head Blues"
  6. "Melancholy Blues" (Bloom, Melrose)
  7. "Weary Blues" (Artie Matthews)
  8. "Twelfth Street Rag" (Euday Bowman)
  9. "Keyhole Blues" (Wesley Wilson)
  10. "S.O.L. Blues"
  11. "Gully Low Blues"
  12. "That's When I'll Come Back to You" (Biggs)

1927 Hot Five recordings

  1. "Put 'Em Down Blues" (Armstrong)
  2. "Ory's Creole Trombone" (Ory)
  3. "The Last Time" (Ewing, Martin)
  4. "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" (Armstrong)
  5. "Got No Blues" (Hardin)
  6. "Once in a While" (William Butler)
  7. "I'm Not Rough" (Armstrong, Hardin)
  8. "Hotter Than That" (Hardin)
  9. "Savoy Blues" (Ory)

1928 Hot Five recordings

  1. "Fireworks" (Spencer Williams)
  2. "Skip the Gutter" (S. Williams)
  3. "A Monday Date" (Earl Hines)
  4. "Don't Jive Me" (Hardin)
  5. "West End Blues" (King Oliver, C. Williams)
  6. "Sugar Foot Strut" (Pierce)
  7. "Two Deuces" (Hardin)
  8. "Squeeze Me" (Waller, C. Williams)
  9. "Knee Drops" (Hardin)

Recording dates

Title Artist Composer Record Label Issued Number Master Number Recording Date Recording Location Personnel
1925–1926 Hot Five recordings
1 "Gambler's Dream" Hociel Thomas Acc. by Louis Armstrong's Jazz Four Hociel Thomas OKeh 8289 9471-A 11/11/1925 Chicago [a]
2 "Sunshine Baby" Hociel Thomas 8326 9472-A
3 "Adam And Eve Had The Blues" Hociel Thomas 8258 9473-A
4 "Put It Where I Can Get It" Hociel Thomas 8258 9474-A
5 "Wash Woman Blues" Hociel Thomas, Bollinger 8289 9475-A
6 "I've Stopped My Man" Hociel Thomas 8326 9476-A
7 "My Heart" Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five Lil Armstrong OKeh 8320 9484-A 11/12/1925 Chicago [b]
8 "Yes! I'm In The Barrel" Louis Armstrong 8261 9485-A
9 "Gut Bucket Blues" Louis Armstrong 8261 9486-A
10 "Come Back, Sweet Papa" Paul Barbarin, Luis Russell OKeh 8318 9503-A 2/22/1926 Chicago
11 "Georgia Grind" Spencer Williams OKeh 8318 9533-A 2/26/1926 Chicago
12 "Heebie Jeebies" B. Atkins 8300 9534-A
13 "Cornet Chop Suey" Louis Armstrong 8320 9535-A
N/A "Cornet Chop Suey" (in E♭) Louis Armstrong 8320 9535-A
14 "Oriental Strut" Johnny St. Cyr 8299 9536-A
15 "You're Next" Louis Armstrong 8299 9537-A
16 "Muskrat Ramble" Edward "Kid" Ory 8300 9538-A
17 "Don't Forget To Mess Around" Paul Barbarin OKeh 8343 9729-A 6/16/1926 Chicago
18 "I'm Gonna Gitcha" Lil Hardin 8343 9730-A
19 "Droppin' Shucks" Lil Hardin 8357 9731-A
20 "Who'sit" Richard M. Jones 8357 9732-A
21 "He Likes It Slow" Butterbeans and Susie J. Edwards Okeh 8355 9750-A 6/18/1926 Chicago [c]
22 "The King of the Zulus" Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five Lil Armstrong OKeh 8396 9776-A 6/23/1926 Chicago [d]
23 "Big Fat Ma and Skinny Pa" Richard M. Jones 8379 9777-A
24 "Lonesome Blues" Lil Hardin 8396 9778-A
25 "Sweet Little Papa" Edward "Kid" Ory 8379 9779-A
26 "Jazz Lips" Lil Hardin OKeh 8436 9890-A 11/16/1926 Chicago [e]
27 "Skid-Dat-De-Dat" Lil Hardin 8436 9891-A
28 "Big Butter and Egg Man" Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable 8423 9892-A [f]
29 "Sunset Cafe Stomp" Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable 8423 9893-A
30 "You Made Me Love You" Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable OKeh 8447 9980-A 11/27/1926 Chicago [g]
31 "Irish Black Bottom" Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable 8447 9981-A
N/A "Leave Mine Alone" Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable Rejected 9982-A
1927 Hot Seven recordings
32 "Willie the Weeper" Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose OKeh 8482 W.80847-C 5/7/1927 Chicago [h]
33 "Wild Man Blues" Louis Armstrong, Fred "Jelly Roll" Morton 8474 W.80848-C
34 "Chicago Breakdown" Louis Armstrong and His Stompers Fred "Jelly Roll" Morton Columbia 36376 W.80851-C 5/9/1927 Chicago [i]
35 "Alligator Crawl" Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller OKeh 8482 W.80854-B 5/10/1927 Chicago [j]
36 "Potato Head Blues" Louis Armstrong 8503 W.80855-C
37 "Melancholy Blues" Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose OKeh 8496 W.80862-A 5/11/1927 Chicago
38 "Weary Blues" Artie Matthews 8519 W.80863-A
39 "Twelfth Street Rag" Euday Bowman Columbia 35663 W.80864-A
40 "Keyhole Blues" Wesley Wilson OKeh 8496 W.80876-A 5/13/1927 Chicago
41 "S.O.L. Blues" Louis Armstrong Columbia 35661 W.81126-B
42 "Gully Low Blues" Louis Armstrong OKeh 8474 W.80877-D 5/14/1927 Chicago
43 "That's When I'll Come Back to You" F. Biggs 8519 W.80884-B
1927 Hot Five recordings
44 "Put 'Em Down Blues" Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five Louis Armstrong OKeh 8503 W.81302-B 9/2/1927 Chicago [k]
45 "Ory's Creole Trombone" Edward "Kid" Ory Columbia 35838 W.81310-D
46 "The Last Time" Ewing, Martin Columbia 35838 W.81317-A 9/6/1927 Chicago
47 "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" Louis Armstrong OKeh 8566 W.82037-B 12/9/1927 Chicago
48 "Got No Blues" Lil Hardin 8551 W.82038-B
49 "Once in a While" William Butler OKeh 8566 W.82039-B 12/10/1927 Chicago
50 "I'm Not Rough" Louis Lil Hardin Armstrong 8551 W.82040-B
51 "Hotter Than That" Lil Hardin OKeh 8535 W.82055-B 12/13/1927 Chicago [l]
52 "Savoy Blues" Edward "Kid" Ory 8535 W.82056-A
1928 Hot Five recordings
53 "You're A Real Sweetheart" Lillie Delk Christian with Louis Armstrong and His Hot Four Caesar, Friend OKeh 8607 400954-B 6/26/1928 Chicago [m]
54 "Too Busy" Coslow, Spier 8596 400956-A
55 "Was It A Dream" Miller, Cohn 8596 400955-B
56 "Last Night I Dreamed You Kissed Me" Kahn, Lombardo 8607 400957-A
57 "Fireworks" Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five Spencer Williams OKeh 8597 W.400960-B 6/27/1928 Chicago [n]
58 "Skip the Gutter" S Williams 8631 W.400961-A
59 "A Monday Date" Earl Hines 8609 W.400962-B
60 "Don't Jive Me" Hardin Columbia 36376 W.400966-C 6/28/1928 Chicago
61 "West End Blues" King Oliver, C Williams OKeh 8597 W.400967-B
62 "Sugar Foot Strut" Pierce 8609 W.400968-B
63 "Two Deuces" Lil Hardin OKeh 8641 W.400973-B 6/29/1928 Chicago
64 "Squeeze Me" Waller, C Williams 8641 W.400974-B
65 "Knee Drops" Lil Hardin OKeh 8631 W.400991-B 7/5/1928 Chicago
66 "No, Papa, No" Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra Spivey, Victoria OKeh 8690 W.402513-A 12/4/1928 Chicago
67 "Basin Street Blues" Spencer Williams 8690 W.402514-A
68 "No One Else But You" Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five Don Redman OKeh 8669 W.402168-B 12/5/1928 Chicago [o]
69 "Save It, Pretty Mama" Don Redman, J. Davis, P. Dennicker 8657 W.402170-C
70 "Beau Koo Jack" Hill, Armstrong, Milrose 8680 W.402169-C
71 "Weather Bird" Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong OKeh 41454 W.402199-A 12/5/1928 Chicago [p]
72 "Muggles" Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra Louis Armstrong OKeh 8703 W.402200-B 12/7/1928 Chicago [q]
73 "Hear Me Talkin' To Ya" Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five Louis Armstrong OKeh 8649 W.402224-A 12/12/1928 Chicago [r]
74 "St. James Infirmary" J. Primrose 8657 W.402225-A
75 "Tight Like This" Curl 8649 W.402226-C
N/A "I'm Gonna Stomp, Mr. Henry Lee" Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra ? OKeh Rejected W.401688-A 3/5/1929 New York [s]
N/A "I'm Gonna Stomp, Mr. Henry Lee" ? Rejected W.401688-B
76 "Knockin' A Jug" Louis Armstrong, Eddie Condon 8703 W.401689-B
77 "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (common take) Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh 8669 W.401690-C [t]
78 "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (alternate take) Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh 8669 W.401690-C
79 "Mahogany Hall Stomp" Williams, Spencer 8680 W.401691-B

Personnel

1925–1926 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 1–6

Tracks 7–20

Track 21

Tracks 22–25

Tracks 26–27

Tracks 28–29

Tracks 30–31

1927 Hot Seven recordings

Tracks 32–33

Track 34

Tracks 35–43

1927 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 44–50

Tracks 51–52

1928 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 53–56

Tracks 57–67

Tracks 68–70

Track 71

Track 72

Tracks 73–75

Track 76

Tracks 77–79

See also

References

  1. ^ National Recording Registry. "15.Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. Louis Armstrong. (1925-1928)". Library of Congress.
  2. ^ a b Wynn, Ron; Raeburn, Bruce Boyd (1994), Ron Wynn (ed.), All Music Guide to Jazz, M. Erlewine, V. Bogdanov, San Francisco: Miller Freeman, p. 43, ISBN 0-87930-308-5
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