Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five - West End Blues - OKeh 8597, 41078

[salmonfire]

During this time Europe had Django and we had Louis, i wish they could have played together!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[JazzmanJibilla]

@salmonfire Sometime in the mid-1930's they did get together in France. There's a good telling of the story in Teachout's book, Pops. Seems Louie's lip was giving him grief so he sang and Django played.

[flickerman68]

Five idiots with tin ears.

[JMElectrohope]

God.

[flickerman68]

Listen carefully folks this is the blueprint for music for the next fifty years.

[bill4long]

Satchel Mouth: Da bestest!

[TheTokit]

He was really 26 years old, short to his 27th birthday. (He was born in August 4, 1901). This recording has been labeled as one of the greatests classics of Jazz. But, even as the video features the "hot seven" (including Mancy Cara on Banjo) I think it is a recording of the "Hot Five", a smaller unit assembled by Armstrong..

[Abriggs500]

4 people are fans of Justin Bieber.

[theirritatedferret]

the *kkkrriirrrkk BZZZ* scared the hell outta me!

[nborders]

For the record–and I have eclectic taste in many kinds of music–this is my favorite song of all songs.

It sums it all up for me.

~n

[flickerman68]

@nborders states it eloquently with not a single word. So much information in a note, in a phrase.....

[flickerman68]

Makes me smile. :)

[Margaux177]

William Carlos Williams called it "The American Scene." Louis Armstrong called it "West End Blues."

Poetry and music, music and poetry!!!

[ProudScotsmanRex]

RnR HOF named this as one of the top 500 songs that shaped RNR. :) Louis Armstrong is one of my personal all time favs. Well I'm partial to him cause I've played trumpet for years, but even if i didn't I'd still like Louis.

[WSenator1]

@ProudScotsmanRex - Isn't Louis himself in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence on R&R?

[236091]

oh my goodness i am so in love with Louis Armstrong.........



[shire2005]

Looks like 2 Justin Bieber fans got lost.

[ochihiro]

ジャズの歴史で画期となる曲という知識よりもなによりも、聴いて­て気だるいムードがなんともいえずも、80年以上前の録音だろう­が良い音楽は良いのだ、という真理を表現した曲。後半のルイのソ­ロは現在においても背筋がキュッとなるくらいに凄い。

[2milleaa]

i love louis armstrong

[972driftking]

im going to find the two people who dared to dislike this masterpiece and Destroy them

[972driftking]

im going to find the two people who dared to dislike this video and Destroy them

[HateCrew119]

like if you jumped out of your skin at 3:15

[BilboHalfling]

i love louis most as a trumpeter... though i love him as a vocalist, his trumpet playing is really what i recognize as most sincerely louis

[WSenator1]

I respectfully disagree with GeePawHill: True, Louis wasn't as startling after his early years, but he was still creative in different ways, and a joy to listen to. AND HE WAS NEVER BORING - to me, anyway.

[kixmet]

@WSenator1 his insanely high notes damaged his lips. I play the trumpet and It's awfully embarrassing when your lips don't co-operate. Yet he constantly reinvented himself. His genius and humility will never cease to amaze me.

[WSenator1]

@kixmet - Agreed. I play piano and percussion, but I was into jazz early in my music life, and Louis was my first idol. I'll take your word for it about the lips. I read somewhere that his lips were damaged for a while in his career, so he switched to being a singer primarily until they healed. Either way, to quote you, his genius and his humility (and his decency) keep him my musical idol.

[kixmet]

@WSenator1 he's my idol too although I'm primarily a metal guitarist who plays trumpet on the side. Such a consummate performer and what a showman. thanks for connecting and see you on the road maybe.

vj

[vdvcsman123]

the perfect three minuts of music i have ever heard

[bossman344]

Oh yeah! I remember my daddy playing this record when I was TINY - 5 or 6 - in '48 or '49. I remember how mad he was when it got broken! SEARED in my memory - but a lovely record nonetheless!

[roast323]

It is the greatest improvised intro of all time!!!!

[jzzlvrmee]

Was listening to this 78 last night with a good friend....Timeless!!

[cw1310]

This is what makes America great.

[n64wilbert]

@cw1310 This is what makes Human race great!!!! I think they should of put this composition rather than Melancholy blues on Voyager Golden Record

[sirjuandabicho]

Bellisimo, este registro es realmente perfecto. muchas gracias. !Viva Louie!

[PorroFirst]

It's Hines' piano that makes this truly magical.

[sbslusher]

no need for zooming into the record over and over and over

[bossman344]

"I Like It" ... gross understatement.

THANK you!

[glen1ster]

Dan070--see Wikipedia--"Bock-a-da-bock."

[GeePawHill]

Ya know, the thing is, he's not even at the height of his power. This astonishing work was performed by a 25-year old. Just amazing, the late break at 2:44 or so. It's where you didn't think it could get any better.

[Atticus70]

@GeePawHill I wouldn't agree with that... I think that Louis was at the height of his power in the years 1927-1929...

[GeePawHill]

@Atticus70 i just checked it, and yes, it was '28. I was thinking it was '25. So, good for me to be wrong. I'm still just studying him. It's a recording where you can't help saying "Good *GOD*, this changes *everything*!!"

[cw1310]

@Atticus70 True, and yet he had a number one hit in 1964 knocking my favorite band ( The Beatles ) from the top spot. What a Legend Satch was.

[tanman7299]

@Atticus70 it's up for debate. he was insane later on in his life, 1927-1929 was when he was revolutionizing jazz music.

[cholocharile]

@GeePawHill I agree with Atticus70.

In my opinion, Armstrong's music became boring and uncreative after 1929. I think his career's climax was with his song 'Muggles' (1928). This comes pretty close, though.

[CrateofStolenDirt]

@GeePawHill Perfectly said, sir. I remember Gary Giddons, in an interview for Ken Burns' Jazz documentary, claimed he played this for a Harvard musicologist who,upon hearing it, frowned thoughtfully, asked that Giddons play it again, and, upon its second conclusion, pause and declared, "That may be the most perfect three minutes of music I've ever heard."

Though I strongly suspect Giddons made the whole thing up, I can heartily agree with the (probably) fictitious musicologist.

[h4ckb0x7]

@GeePawHill I just can't get past his introduction, it is simply amazing!!!

[mayurasana]

The riff at the beginning was amazing. Louis was such a virtuoso!!

[searcherboy]

Lovely post. Thanks much for this. Perfection in a 3-minute recording.

[limpidgreen42]

The clicking sound is a woodblock. You can look it up on wikipedia.

I think it would be pretty easy to make one if you had the right kind of wood, it's literally just a hollowed out block of wood

[Vickyefisher]

@limpidgreen42 actually, it's called a bock-a-da-bock, imagine an old-style version of those cymbals on string that you cup in your hands to play. There was a score transcribed which calls it a 'rhythmic milk-bottle sound'. It was basically there to replace drums plus a possible double bass, which with early recording techniques could not be picked up as the pitch was so low. The bock-a-da-bock had to be played right next to the microphone to even pick that up.

[Dan070]

This is a great post. Thanks, Atticus70 for putting this up. Sound quality is superb.

At 0:51 there's a rhythmic 'clicking' that sounds like a milk bottle being tapped. I read that this the instrument was in fact a 'Bock-a-da-bock' and I was wondering if anyone has an idea what one looked like or how to make one? I can't find anything and it'd be great if I could make one. Please help.

[Atticus70]

@Dan070 Please let me know when you find it out! thx

[Bazzito52]

@Atticus70

It's two small metal disks or cymbals attached to a spring handle, sort of like a set of tongs and played with a drumstick or mallet while the player manipulates the disks with the other hand. You can hear a distinctive metal sound, rather than wood if you listen closely.

The instrument was invented by the great drummer and inventor, Billy Gladstone.

[drumhead50]

@Dan070

Check out the Slingerland book by Rob Cook for a picture. Bock-a-da-bocks looked like two greeco cymbals on a holder and I think they were played similar to spoons today.

[JudithIN410]

@Dan070  Wikipedia describes the instrument. Can't find a photo online.

[Dan070]

@JudithIN410 I DID find a picture ages ago but I didn't save it onto my computer... Basically, imagine two finger cymbals on tongs that you'd use for a BBQ ;)

[mrwolfandhismusic]

@Dan070 @Atticus70 The Bock-a-da-bock was invented by orchestral percussionist Billy Gladstone. He shaped the discs such that they were 8 centimetres in diameter, and slightly domed. These discs were then mounted on sprung tongs which could be held by the drummer playing the instrument. Played with a stick in one hand, while the other (usually the left hand) controls the grip. The two metal discs would then be pushed together to create a sound similar to that of a milk bottle being hit-wikipedia

[Spazmata652010]

@Dan070 There's a very good description of the bock-a-da-bock on Wikipedia and there is an image of one on Google to give you an idea how to make one. Hope that helps.

[easeynz]

@Dan070 I was told that it was a clave. Could be wrong but maybe something to look into?

[HamburgerJamesUSA]

@Dan070 I bought one on ebay a few years back. Made by Ludwig. If you google bockadabock, you can find pictures pretty easily.

[snorkelbda03]

@Dan070 a Bock a..." is a cymbal. You hold it in your hand and use a stick on it. Im pretty sure its in one of Louis' Denmark vids

[demonking451]

@Dan070 i found this info it it will help

The Bock-a-da-bock was invented by orchestral percussionist Billy Gladstone [1]. He shaped the discs such that they were 8 centimetres in diameter, and slightly domed. These discs were then mounted on sprung tongs which could be held by the drummer playing the instrument.

Sometimes the Bock-a-da-bock would have been used to substitute a drum kit. Due to the recording limitations of the 1920s, drums were not always practical to be included in a recording

[SamuelMWainwright]

@Dan070 bit. ly/uYnqg0

[KaytieOBrien]

@Dan070 As far as I know, (though this is just from studying music in school, probably not the most reliable,) it is milk bottles! Though an actual instument is probably more likley.

[TheSanityInspector]

Genius...

[3shiftgtr]

The trumpet lick to end all trumpet licks at 2:44 after that long vibrato-ed note....just no question....perfect....hearing this, you just know that the earth shifted that day....

[LarssonKarlsson]

Soooooo wonderful. relaxing!

[steviebgrey]

this is just an amazing song. (period)

[pholkins]

Atticus 70, thank you for the post - incredible sound quality!

[Atticus70]

Thanks! :-D

[spike6060]

this is one of those tunes where you know it when louie hits the first note real jazz classic thanks for posting

[sanedra]

Extreme talent! Nice to go back to this time and remember how music was played before our time. Innnovative....Thanks for sending this time piece. Sanedra on behalf of Vel Omarr & The P'zazz Band

[nsansouci]

what an absolutely perfect piece of music.

[gezunder]

@nsansouci too true bro

[jazzpsalti]

(if it was tape)

[jazzpsalti]

were the hot five recordings done into a cone? or on tape? You'd think we could get a really high fidelity master of this

[Atticus70]

Directly on high quality shellac! After that, metal stampers were made using the master. With those metal stampers records were pressed. The record you are listening to was made by using an original stamper. Records made without the original stamper are called dubs. They don't have a good fidelity. The recording I made with my record was restored by myself by using the most advanced technology of today. You won't get it better...

[jazzpsalti]

was it from a cone to the resin???

[DaveDFFA]

you can buy an equally high quality version of this from most universities. They have the rights to most distributions of music, so the cd's you receive from them are their highest quality recordings available.

[prunellapussywuggums]

if I had never picked up Ken Burns' HISTORY OF JAZZ at the library I'd be ignorant of this whole world of fabulous music populated with musical geniuses. THANK YOU POPS.

[arrantartifact]

oh my god, the ending of this tune just destroys me.

[jazzpsalti]

lol what the fart or the actual tune

[ThatsaCryinShame]

louies the master, but that earl hines solo is boss

[WSenator1]

You'll get no disagreement from me. I'll check out "Dippermouth" soon as possible. Could you locate and post "Gut Bucket Blues"? If so, appreciate it.

[Atticus70]

Sorry, I don't have that rarity yet. I have seen it before but the condition of those records was not satisfactory and therefore, I decided not to buy. If you check my channel page and make search with the words "Louis Armstrong", you'll get everything that I have from Pops.

[WSenator1]

Won't disagree with your statement. But I had in mind not just jazz, but pop and rock (after all, Louis is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence).

[Atticus70]

I agree. Just watch my video "Dippermouth Blues" with one of the earliest Armstrong recordings. That sounds pretty much like Rock'n Roll to me.... In 1923!!!!!!!!

Armstrong is nothing less than a genius. He's one of the greatest musicians who ever walked on this planet....

[mvuvi]

@Atticus70 You are so right! For me he was and is just the greatest artist of the 20th century!

[WSenator1]

Would it be correct to say that all modern music begins with Louis Armstrong?

[Atticus70]

It would be correct that Louis Armstrong is one of three musicians who defined jazz music. The other two are Charlie Parker and Miles Davis...

[oldtimejazzfan]

You forgot Sidney Bechet!

[oldtimejazzfan]

This should have gone to Atticus re Parker and Davis

[MusicGuru12]

Thanks for uploading! :)

[HarborGuy]

Too bad the old New Orleans is gone. Louis was a native but hated it due to the segregation laws at the time he was famous......never considered it home!

[wdg363]

Thanks for posting this - electric fart and all!

[Atticus70]

Sorry for the electric "fart" after the song. I have no idea why this happened...