The Hot Fives & Sevens [Box set]

Amazon.com
Between 1925 and 1929, Louis Armstrong created one of the first great bodies of work in jazz. While he worked regularly as a soloist with big bands, he began his career as a leader with the first all-star studio group in jazz, the Hot Five. The other four musicians were Armstrong's wife, Lil Hardin Armstrong, on piano; Johnny Dodds on clarinet; Kid Ory on trombone; and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. The music's first great soloist, Armstrong was reshaping jazz by sheer improvisational magic, gradually diminishing the role of the traditional New Orleans ensemble with the clarion brilliance of his trumpet. Possessing an uncanny blend of exuberance and creativity, he combined virtuosic declarations with a talent for the subtlest shifts in phrasing and melodic variation, creating rich emotional statements that could hint at loss in the midst of joy or the promise of better things in the most sorrowful blues. The band expands here, to the Hot Seven and larger ensembles, and it gains soloists who applied Armstrong's lessons to their own instruments--musicians such as pianist Earl Hines and trombonist Jack Teagarden--but all come under the imprint of Armstrong's flowering genius, as both trumpeter and singer.

It's almost impossible to overrate this material. It may be the most influential music in jazz history, establishing standards for originality and sustained invention that have rarely been matched. The JSP set is a superb reissue of Armstrong's essential work. The remastering is by John R.T. Davies, widely acknowledged as the dean of engineers in the field of early jazz, and the resultant sound is simply the best this work has ever enjoyed. There are alternate takes of the later material on Columbia Legacy (including Louis in New York and St. Louis Blues), so collectors will want both. But this recording is superior listening, at a price that also makes it an ideal introduction to one of the few titans of jazz. --Stuart Broomer

The Hot Fives & Sevens,Louis Armstrong,Jsp Records,Box Sets (Audio Only),Classic Jazz,Dixieland,Jazz,Jazz Music,Jazz Traditional,New Orleans Jazz,Pop

Average customer rating: This is beyond essential...Its a MUST HAVE Don't touch the hiss! Music is cornerstone...but the sonics? Mixed feelings. The Definitive Hot Fives & Sevens: Just Perfect! Brilliant!

The Hot Fives & Sevens Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Jsp Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music Bargain Box Sets | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday The Complete Birth of the Cool A Love Supreme ASIN: B00001ZWLP Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

1. My Heart
2. Yes! I'm In The The Barrel
3. Gut Bucket Blues
4. Come Back, Sweet Papa
5. Georgia Grind
6. Heebie Jeebies
7. Comet Chop Suey
8. Oriental Strut
9. You're Next
10. Muskrat Ramble
11. Don't Forget To Mess Around
12. I'm Gonna Gitcha
13. Dropping Shucks
14. Who' Sit
15. He Likes It Slow
16. The King Of The Zulus
17. Big Fat Ma And Skinny Pa
18. Lonesome Blues
19. Sweet Little Papa
20. Jazz Lips
21. Skid-Dat-De-Dat
22. Big Butter And Egg Man From The West
23. Sunset Cafe Stomp
24. You Made Me Love You
25. Irish Black Bottom

Tracks:

1. Willie The Weeper
2. Wild Man Blues
3. Chicago Breakdown
4. Alligator Crawl
5. Potato Head Blues
6. Melancholy Blues
7. Weary Blues
8. Twelfth Street Rag
9. Keyhole Blues
10. S.O.L. Blues
11. Gully Low Blues
12. That's When I'll Come Back To You
13. Put 'Em Down Blues
14. Ory's Creole Trombone
15. The Last Time
16. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
17. Got No Blues
18. Once In A While
19. I'm Not Rough
20. Hotter Than That
21. Savoy Blues

Tracks:

1. Fireworks
2. Skip The Gutter
3. A Monday Date
4. Don't Jive Me
5. West End Blues
6. Sugar Foot Strut
7. Two Deuces
8. Squeeze Me
9. Knee Drops
10. Symphonic Raps
11. Savoyagers' Stomp
12. No (No, Papa, No)
13. Basin Street Blues
14. No-One Else But You
15. Beau Koo Jack
16. Save It, Pretty Mama
17. A Weather Bird
18. Muggles
19. A Heah Me Talkin' To Ya?
20. James Infirmary
21. Tight Like This
22. Knockin' A Jug

Tracks:

1. I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Louis Armstrong And His Savoy Ballroom Five
2. Mahogany Hall Stomp - Louis Armstrong And His Savoy Ballroom Five
3. Ain't Misbehavin' - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
4. (What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue? - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
5. That Rhythm Man - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
6. Sweet Savannah Sue - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
7. Some Of These Days - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
8. Some Of These Days - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
9. When You're Smiling - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
10. When You're Smiling - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
11. After You've Gone - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
12. I Ain't Got Nobody - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
13. Dallas Blues - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
14. St. Louis Blues - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
15. Rockin' Chair - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
16. A Song Of The Islands - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
17. Bessie Couldn't Help It - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
18. Blue, Turning Grey Over You - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
19. Dear Old Southland - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
20. Rockin' Chair - Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
21. I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Louis Armstrong And His Savoy Ballroom Five

Amazon.com

Between 1925 and 1929, Louis Armstrong created one of the first great bodies of work in jazz. While he worked regularly as a soloist with big bands, he began his career as a leader with the first all-star studio group in jazz, the Hot Five. The other four musicians were Armstrong's wife, Lil Hardin Armstrong, on piano; Johnny Dodds on clarinet; Kid Ory on trombone; and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. The music's first great soloist, Armstrong was reshaping jazz by sheer improvisational magic, gradually diminishing the role of the traditional New Orleans ensemble with the clarion brilliance of his trumpet. Possessing an uncanny blend of exuberance and creativity, he combined virtuosic declarations with a talent for the subtlest shifts in phrasing and melodic variation, creating rich emotional statements that could hint at loss in the midst of joy or the promise of better things in the most sorrowful blues. The band expands here, to the Hot Seven and larger ensembles, and it gains soloists who applied Armstrong's lessons to their own instruments--musicians such as pianist Earl Hines and trombonist Jack Teagarden--but all come under the imprint of Armstrong's flowering genius, as both trumpeter and singer.

It's almost impossible to overrate this material. It may be the most influential music in jazz history, establishing standards for originality and sustained invention that have rarely been matched. The JSP set is a superb reissue of Armstrong's essential work. The remastering is by John R.T. Davies, widely acknowledged as the dean of engineers in the field of early jazz, and the resultant sound is simply the best this work has ever enjoyed. There are alternate takes of the later material on Columbia Legacy (including Louis in New York and St. Louis Blues), so collectors will want both. But this recording is superior listening, at a price that also makes it an ideal introduction to one of the few titans of jazz. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

This is beyond essential...Its a MUST HAVE.......2007-07-17

This is truly a blues / New Orleans Jazz collector's dream come true. Louis Armstrong (as good as he was with "What a Wonderful World", and "Hello Dolly") is the real deal with the hot fives & sevens. The best thing (there are so many) is his band members including Lil Harden (at the time Armstrong), Earl Hines, Lonnie Johnson, Kid Ory, and many other greats. JSP does a masterful job of remastering (of course the source material was from a major studio (Columbia - I'm so glad they didn't record with Paramount)). There's also some good natured humor on this one that was later adopted by Jim Kwiskin's Jug Band (That's When I'll Come Back To You) that has Lil and Louis as the vocalists. Finally, for 4 (count 'em 4) full discs, the price is incredible (also, the original release by CBS / Sony is currently in the vaults - so if you really want the CBS / Sony release, I think I saw a copy that goes for around $150.00 and getting higher every day). The only flaw is that there isn't much reading material, but with the money you save, you can buy several biographical books. With everything going for it, this one's a keeper.

Don't touch the hiss!.......2007-03-10

If it was just the music I'm rating, it would of course get a million stars. However, the music is on a remastered CD. "Remastered" generally means getting your oldie jazz sounding as if it's being strangled in a can.
Granted the sound here is "clear" and the bass is a bit boosted. The acoustics, reverb, echo, life and air are however thrown out with the hiss.
Again, I've heard a lot worse than this. But generally, French jazz re-issues are better. Why? Because they leave the hiss!! The catch? The French CD's are either expensive or they contain fewer songs for your money than these cheapo boxed sets.

Music is cornerstone...but the sonics? Mixed feelings........2007-02-09

I'm not going to labor on the fact that this music is fantastic, cornerstone of jazz, indispensible, blah, blah, blah. We all already know that. I want to talk about the sonic quality of these recordings.

I read so much about this John RT Davies guy, who mastered this box set. I heard so many positive things about his skills, particularly in this boxed set, and how the sound is allegedly far superior to the Columbia version. I had to get BOTH to compare. I bought this JSP box set, and the newly revised 2006 edition of the Hot sessions released by Columbia/Legacy/Sony/BMG (the official edition).

The late John RT Davies, who mastered this JSP set is considered so good, that people on Amazon claimed that he mastered this collection from old 78s better than the engineers at Columbia, using the original masters (owned EXCLUSIVELY by Columbia.) Heck, RCA & Columbia thought he was good, as i've seen his name adorning very LEGAL pressings of all sorts of old jazz under the RCA & Columbia labels, right here in the U.S.A. So, he certainly had some clout, and some talent.

Unlike almost every reviewer on here, i do not consider the JSP box set to sound better than the official Columbia release (2006 version). However, i still think it sounds pretty good. There is something important to consider. While Davies is considered a true master at...well, remastering, his work at JSP comes up flawed, because he did not have access to the original masters, which are safely secured in Sony/Columbia/Legacy's vaults. He had to use old 78's (the kind you bought in the store) to make these new masters. So, while he may have picked 78's that were better preserved, and had seen less action, he was still using the next generation of recordings.

When you master from the originals over and over and over again, you tend to add all kinds of artificial pops, clicks, hisses, and such into the original disc (Bing Crosby had to re-record White Christmas in 1947, because the original 1942 recording was pressed so many times, it sounded horrible). Therefore, if you use a pretty clean 78, you can avoid much of that, and come out with a cleaner master to make into a CD. When you add some digital noise removal systems (essentially computer programs), you make them even cleaner, and if done right, still not sacrifice the integrity of the music.

Sounds pretty cut and dry right? The 78's should sound better then, right? Why wouldn't Columbia re-master their collection from old 78's as well? A very important reason, actually. When you copy old 78's, instead of the original pressings, you move at least one generation away from the original performance. Everytime you make a copy of a copy, the sound gets muddier, with less distinction and more distortion. Certainly, with skill and technology, it can be minimalized, but the fact remains.

Soooooooo.......my analysis? The JSP set sounds a tad smoother, with less pops. The bass is a little deeper too, however a bit muddier (slightly distorted). The Columbia set from 2006 DOES have a bit more scratchiness, and the bass is not quite as deep. However, the sound is CLEANER, and...my favorite descriptive word in this whole review...more TRANSPARENT. That's right. Every instrument in the Columbia set is more distinct from all the other instruments. The sound feels light, airy, and alive. The JSP set, while more smooth doesn't have that clarity of the original recordings. They sound more like...well, records.

So, which is better? There's no really correct answer. It's a matter of taste. For ME, the Columbia set wins, hands down. I'm 31 years old. For most of my musical life, i grew up listening to CDs. However, many people have fond memories of what their old collection of vintage records sound like. What you hear on records that you don't hear on CD's is distortion. It's slight, but it's certainly there. Technically, CDs are cleaner, and more accurate representations of the actual music than records ever were. But people have aural memories, and THAT'S the sound they want to hear. It's a very natural, and totally unconscious reaction. We like what we know. Everytime i buy better speakers, amps, etc., i always miss the sound of my old, inferior equipment...for a little while. Then as i use it, my ears adjust to the new sound, and i ADORE it. Anytime i've tried going back to the OLD set-up after that, i had a much stronger negative reaction than i did when going UP in quality. My ears became adjusted to what's better.

So, here's my recommendation:

If you don't have those fond memories of old vinyl or shellac discs, and grew up on CDs, then the Columbia set is 150% better. The sound is cleaner, tighter, more distinct instrumentally, and contains less distortion. You get music that's closer to reality. The drawback of course, is you will hear a bit more crackle, and a tad less bass.

If you DO have those fond memories of the big black discs, and you remember the warm, rounded sound that made you feel like cuddling up in a blanket with a cup of cocoa & a wish on a star, then you really need to get this set. If you also happen to listen to rap in your Escalade, and you like to hear the bass completely distorting, but you think you wanna try some early Satchmo, then you NEED this set. Don't even think about buying the Columbia version. Just remember, while it is smoother, it is also further away from the original performance, so the sound is muddier and less distinct.

I've compared nearly every track on both sets. They both sound pretty good in their own ways. By all means, this IS a set worth owning...for some people. You just have to decide what kind of person you are.

The Definitive Hot Fives & Sevens: Just Perfect!.......2006-12-23

When Louis Armstrong's "Hot Five & Sevens" first came out on CD, I did not hesitate to jump up and purchase these magnificent CD'S. Yes, they were crude and did not have that clear sound that this JSP issue had, but I was so enamored with Armstrong's early greatness, that I jumped up and purchased them. I don't regret it, even if the sound was nowhere near these great recordings. However, after I purchased this boxed set of Armstrong's classic "Hot Fives & Sevens," I never listened to them again. I gave them to a friend who was interested in jazz, but not really sure he liked early jazz. This boxed collection is what I now listen to. There is nothing more I can add as to how GREAT the sound quality is on these terrific recordings. They are just awesome.

I listened to this music when I was a kid, courtesy of my parents, but I never really appreciated just how great Louis Armstrong was until I became an adult. I liked him, but now I love his sound. And as for the earlier issues on CD of this outstanding work by Armstrong, well this is the set to have. I recommend that if you are seeking the best issue out there of the "Hot Fives & Sevens," then purchase this boxed set. It it far superior to any other I have ever heard. There have been some great reviews on this particular CD, and I really don't think there is anything more I can add. However, do youself a favor and listen to these remarkable recordings. They are a must have not only if you are into jazz, but if you like beautiful music period. I like ALL types of music. There are very few genre's of music I do not like, or can listen to. However, I have a special place in my heart [and ears] for music in the 1920s and early 1930s. And this IS music! Highly recommended!

Brilliant!.......2006-12-17

Louis Armstrong and his "Hot Five and Seven" are just brilliant! I resisted buying this set of CDs for years because I felt the quality of music recorded in the 20s was very low. Of course, a jazz collection without these recordings is like the Sistine Chapel without Michelangelo's frescos. JSP Records did a marvelous job of digitally remastering these inspired recordings...no scratching or popping and very little hissing. I can add little to what has already been said about these very reasonably priced discs.

Average customer rating: Timeless and Priceless First Louis Amstrong CD The best Satchmo era The one to get if you can't spring for one of the boxes! Jazz Immortality!

25 Greatest Hot Fives & Sevens Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Asv Living Era ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mingus Ah Um The Best of Early Basie Somethin' Else A Love Supreme Moanin' ASIN: B000001HIS Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

1. Heebie Jeebies
2. Cornet Chop Suey
3. Muskrat Ramble
4. Jazz Lips
5. Skid - Dat - De - Dat
6. Big Butter Egg Man
7. Willie The Weeper
8. Wild Man Blues
9. Alligator Crawl
10. Potato Head Blues
11. Melancholy Blues
12. Weary Blues
13. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
14. Once In A While
15. I'm Not Rough
16. Hotter Than That
17. Savoy Blues
18. Skip The Gutter
19. West End Blues
20. Basin Street Blues
21. Beau Koo Jack
22. Weather Bird
23. Muggles
24. St. James Infirmary
25. Tight Like This

Amazon.com

This collection bulges with the hottest and most dazzling jazz of the 1920s, with Armstrong dragging his lesser colleagues along with him in a whirlwind of inspiration. How a young man from the rugged and unbending background of downtown New Orleans could learn to play such sophisticated, sure-footed magic will never be known. He pops up to astonish on the 1926 tracks with classic ideas already spouting from his horn. Over the next three years, he would metamorphose into the sublime creator of the trumpet solo on the last track, "Tight Like This," one of the most dramatic and enchanting solos in the whole of jazz. Before that are fresh-as-a-daisy cornet acrobatics, as found on "Potato Head Blues" and "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." There's more exquisite playing on "Savoy Blues," where Lonnie Johnson adds some eloquent guitar. And then there's "West End Blues," the trumpet classic par excellence that brings in pianist Earl Hines, already a decade ahead of his time and one of the most potent influences on Armstrong. This is a thoroughly enjoyable history lesson. --Steve Voce

Customer Reviews:

Timeless and Priceless.......2006-08-19

This collection of 25 performances by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Fives, Hot Sevens, and other bands is as timeless as it is priceless. These early (1926-1928) recordings reveal Armstrong's genius in creating dixieland jazz as an art form. The gem of the collection is his profoundly moving 1928 performance of "West End Blues," which alone is worth the cost of the CD. But the other performances are equally astonishing for their creativity and verve. Sound quality is exceptionally good. Here are 75 minutes of the greatest jazz music you'll ever hear.

First Louis Amstrong CD.......2006-03-04

If you are going to buy only one CD from Amstrong, this is the one I suggest.

The best Satchmo era.......2005-08-21

A complete selection of the best era of Louis (The hot five and the hot Seven ensembles). Memorable songs are included here: "Cornet chop suey", "Willy the weeper", "Potato head blues", and "Weary blues". The price is even better than the box set.

The one to get if you can't spring for one of the boxes!.......2001-03-29

If you're looking for the best single-disc collection of this incredible legacy, you've come to the right place. Everyone with even a slight interest in jazz (oh heck, make that EVERYONE, period!) needs to hear this music in some form!

But for many people, four discs may be overkill. This collection includes virtually all the mega-classics - Heebie Jeebies, Ski-Dat-Di-Dat, Mustrat Ramble, Struttin' With Some Barbecue, Potato Head Blues, Big Butter and Egg Man, Weather Bird, West End Blues, St. James Infrimary, the UTTERLY AMAZING Tight Like This, and more - and should make nearly anyone into a convert!

As for me, I already have the old 3-LP Columbia set (36 cuts), and there's very little from those that aren't on here that I miss (e.g., That's When I'll Come Back To You). And the convenience of having it on CD is well worth any duplications. The sound quality (given the original 20s recordings) and liner notes are excellent. This is an essential CD... unless you just decide to go whole hog and get one of the box sets!

"And I say IT IS tight like this!"

Jazz Immortality!.......2001-01-12

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings have become immortal in the history of jazz. If you can't afford the complete boxed sets, this is the best collection to own. It will get you started and wet your appetite for more this man's groundbreaking genius. "West End Blues" alone is worth the price of this disc. No "best of" collection is really that without this renowned masterpiece. "Weather Bird" (also composed by his old boss King Oliver) can blow you away. And that's just to mention two of the cuts. This is the man who created much of the very vocabulary of jazz, and no one has ever said it better.

Average customer rating: This is breakthrough jazz.

Hot Fives Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Jazzterdays Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music ASIN: B000005MVO Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

1. My Heart
2. I'm In The Barrel
3. Gut Bucket Blues
4. Come Back, Sweet Papa
5. Georgia Grind
6. Heebie Jeebies
7. Cornet Chop Suey
8. Oriental Strut
9. You're Next
10. Muskrat Ramble
11. Don't Forget To Mess Around
12. I'm Gonna Gitcha
13. Droppin' Shucks
14. Who'Sit
15. King Of The Zulus
16. Big Fat Ma And Skinny Pa
17. Lonesome Blues
18. Sweet Little Papa
19. Jazz Lips
20. Skid-Dat-De-Dat
21. Big Butter And Egg Man
22. Sunset Cafe Stomp
23. You Made Me Love You
24. Irish Black Bottom

Amazon.com

It's no exaggeration to say that Louis Armstrong recreated jazz in his own image, taking a collectively improvised music and remaking it into one in which the virtuoso soloist dominated. He did it by sheer invention and musical superiority, and he did it in the midst of the finest polyphonic players that New Orleans music had produced. The beginnings of it can be heard in these 1925-26 recordings by the superb Hot Five, a band made up of clarinetist Johnny Dodds, trombonist Kid Ory, pianist Lil Hardin Armstrong, and banjoist Johnny St. Cyr. Armstrong was with the players he knew best, and the music is relaxed and lustrous, ranging from the beautiful cornet feature "Cornet Chop Suey" to the convivial "Gut Bucket Blues" and the first recording of Ory's "Muskrat Ramble." The summit of the New Orleans style and the dawn of the next phase in jazz, this is an essential CD for any jazz listener, not just for traditionalists. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

This is breakthrough jazz........1998-10-07

When I first listened to this album, I thought it was all instrumental, then I came to song 6 and 7. I forget what the titles are, but both of them include Louis Armstrong's young voice that sounds ancient. The sound quality of the music is not good, but considering that it is over 70 years old it is superb. The thing I emphasize is the singing, Louis Armstrong's crazy voice just takes me away, man. No doubt. The music is terrific and it has remained in my CD player for about two weeks, and it seems like I'll never take it out. I love the music, and the music proves that Louis was strongest before he recorded Blueberry Hill. Any jazz fan needs this recording in order to understand what has transpired in the evolution of jazz. Albums like this make me want to listen to music. They've even got a banjo!!!!!

Average customer rating: Disappointed

West End Blues: The Very Best of the Hot Fives & Sevens Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Music Club Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music Blues | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Love Supreme Kind of Blue ASIN: B00004TDHT Release Date: 2000-06-12

Tracks:

1. West End Blues
2. Fireworks
3. Potato Head Blues
4. Heebie Jeebies
5. Twelfth Street Rag
6. Alligator Crawl
7. Cornet Chop Suey
8. Two Deuces
9. Last Time
10. Muskrat Ramble
11. Big Butter and Egg Man
12. Rockin' Chair
13. Hotter Than That
14. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
15. Skid-Dat-De-Dat

Album Description

West End Blues consists of 20 legendary jazz tracks by the trumpet maestro and his band. Tracks include 'West End Blues', 'Fireworks', 'Potato Head Blues' and 'Heebie Jeebies'. Highly collectable compilation at a great price. Extensive sleevenotes and over an hour of music. Music Club.

Album Details

Very Best of the Hot Fives and Sevens. 20 Tracks all Together.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-03-21

Only 1/3 of the 24 track listings shown for this CD are correct. The CD and liner notes include only 8 of the tracks listed plus 12 others, for a total of 20 tracks on this CD.

Average customer rating: You simply must have this music or turn in your ears Great collection... Best single-CD collection of Hot Fives & Hot Sevens

West End Blues: The Very Best of the Hot Fives and Sevens Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Music Club ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004SUA2 Release Date: 2000-05-23

Tracks:

1. West End Blues
2. Fireworks
3. Potato Head Blues
4. Heebie Jeebies
5. Twelfth Street Rag
6. Alligator Crawl
7. Cornet Chop Suey
8. Two Deuces
9. The Last Time
10. Muskrat Ramble
11. I Want A Big Butter & Egg Man From Way Out West
12. Rockin' Chair
13. Hotter Than That
14. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
15. Skid-Dat-De-Dat

Customer Reviews:

You simply must have this music or turn in your ears.......2005-01-29

You need to have this music somehow. If not, you might as well turn in your ears. No matter what kind of music you listen to, but especially if you play, you must have Louis's great work from this period.

The West End Blues is simply the greatest single musical performance of the 20th Century. Serious people I know would even argue that it was the greatest achievement of any art in the 20th century.

You need to have it either in this or some other collection. If you don't you have diminished your life. Get this collection if you cannot afford the big box set, or if you do not have the music in some of the earlier collections like Portrait of the Artist as a young man.

These records are not just good because of their decisve historic importance. They would sound wonderful if they had been made last night by a bunch of teenagers in Idaho.

I protest that one cannot give this 5000 stars!

Great collection..........2002-08-07

This is a great collection of the greatest bands of early jazz, Louis Armstrong's Hot 5's and Hot 7's. These recordings are each milestones in jazz history from "Heebie Jeebies" featuring the earliest known recording of scatting, and "West End Blues" which completely altered the state of jazz, and on it's own paying no attention to the other Hot 5's and 7's is one of the most influential pieces of jazz ever. The solos are beautiful and unlike anything previously recorded, and completely changed the direction jazz was heading, moving from simultaneous improvisation to passing from solo to solo like we know jazz to be today.
Unfortunately there isn't one great album to feature these recordings, since there weren't any albums. All of these recordings were generally a two sided record with only two songs. The result is many many large collections and boxed sets that can be fairly overwhelming, and unless you're a die hard fan may be overly excessive. The single CD collections are generally a multiple volume set, placed in chronological order, meaning that it takes multiple CD's to get all your favorites.
This collection covers the very best, and most essential and places them in a reasonable time frame and comes across with the look and feel of an album. The cover art, if that's important to you, is also several notches above most "Greatest hits" covers. Even if you ARE a die hard fan, and would want all of the boxed sets and extensive collections, this album puts the all of the best ones in a set a great variety in a well placed order for light listening.

Best single-CD collection of Hot Fives & Hot Sevens.......2001-01-15

If you don't want to spring for a pricey box set, or your interest only goes as deep as the most essential sides, this is the best single-disc collection of the 1920's Hot Five and Hot Seven material. The most famous recordings are here - "Heebie Jeebies" (the first "scat" recording), "West End Blues", etc. - and the sound is fresh and spacious (the tracks are licensed from JSP, whose audio restoration of this material is unparalleled). Indescribably important music in a nice package. Should be in every collection of American music.

Average customer rating: Truly an Essential! The Crown Prince Grows Up Fun fun FUN! VERY ESSENTIAl Louis Armstrong The Hot Fives

Volume 1: Hot Fives Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Louis Armstrong Collection, Vol. 7: You're Driving Me Crazy ASIN: B0000026I1 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. My Heart
2. (Yes) I'm In The Barrel
3. Gut Bucket Blues
4. Come Back, Sweet Papa
5. Georgia Grind
6. Heebie Jeebies
7. Cornet Chop Suey
8. Oriental Strut
9. You're Next
10. Muskrat Ramble
11. Don't Forget To Mess Around
12. I'm Gonna Gitcha
13. Droppin' Shucks
14. Who' Sit
15. King Of The Zulus
16. Big Fat Ma And Skinny Pa

Amazon.com essential recording

Fact: Some seventy years ago, Louis Armstrong was bigger than the Beatles. Fact: Louis' record sales provided the seed money for some of today's great communications empires. Fact: Pops' startling trumpet prowess and ingratiating vocals transformed the phrasing of every instrumentalist and vocalist on earth--and these are the sessions that started it all. Having performed as the second cornet with spiritual father Joe "King" Oliver's legendary New Orleans band, he turned everybody's head in New York during his stint with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra in 1924. Then at wife Lil Hardin's insistence, he returned to Chicago in 1925, which led to the first of his supersessions for the Okeh label--fronting an all-star band assembled just for the studio. Even amid the traditional New Orleans polyphony and ensemble work of "Gut Bucket Blues," the sheer power of Armstrong's cornet pulls along the rest of the band like a locomotive (and in setting the infectious closing riff, he not only anticipates the swing era but Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts"). By the time we get to the 1926 sessions, featuring his innovative "scat singing" on "Heebie Jeebies" and his dynamic stop-time phrases on "Cornet Chop Suey," Louis Armstrong is well on his way to transforming jazz into a soloist's art, and himself into the most influential musician of the 20th century. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

Truly an Essential!.......2003-02-27

Get over the bad sound quality and you're going to love this album. This is Louis at his best. I prefer his earlier works to his later ones because they seem more lively, but that is just my opinion. Even if you like later works better, there's still no reason you shouldn't buy this album. Its got the first good scat recording on "Heebie Jeebies", which is a riot to listen to, and a host of other hilarious songs. Not a very serious, heartfelt album, but that's why I love it. If you have a preconceived image of Louie as singing only loving soft jazz songs such as "What a Wonderful World", I suggest you listen to this album, because it has nothing like that. What it does have is wild dance songs such as "Oriental Strut" and one crazy tune with Jamaican voice-overs, "King of the Zulus". A truly wonderful album and an essential for all lovers of early jazz.

The Crown Prince Grows Up.......2001-12-29

This superb set captures Armstrong at a critical point in his artistic evolution,-having served his apprenticeship in King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band in 1923,he first lit a fire at the trumpet chair in Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra the following year and then he played and recorded with small combos with the likes of Sidney Bechet and Clarence Williams and now in 1925 he leads his own combo of all-stars.There is nothing negative to be said about this CD,unless you wish to quibble over the sound,which is low-fi compared to more recent releases in box sets but I much prefer the warmer,rounder tone of this CD;in a similar vein,there is nothing negative to say about the MUSIC on this CD either - this is prime classic jazz at its very finest,from the polyphonic brilliance of "My Heart" to the darting playfulness of "Big Fat Ma And Skinny Pa" and "King Of The Zulus",here was a major musical genius just beginning to stretch his legs.An essential buy,darn the sound quality its perfectly great sounding on my player!

Fun fun FUN!.......2001-07-18

Yeah, audiophiles won't dig the sound (hey, this was the 20s, remember?). But if you get past that, this CD is full of FUN! "Heebie Jeebies" was quite influential in it's day, today it's a good way to make you smile. "Big Fat Ma and Skinny Pa" sounds like the soundtrack to a late 20s-early 30s cartoon. One can easily imagine the goings-on that this tune desribes (as is also the case with "Georgia Grind." Satch's first recorded vocal, "Gut Bucket Blues" where he enthusiastically cheers his comrades on, reminds you of the "shout outs" on modern rap songs. "You're Next" is an uncharacteristically moody piece from this era, with an interesting classical piano intro from Lil Armstrong. So DAMN the poor sound. Imagine that grandpa and grandma are crankin' up the old victrola and have a ball!

VERY ESSENTIAl.......2000-05-10

LOuis Armstrong is a Great Talent.One Of The Best That The Music World Has Ever Known.The Music Here is very Essential.MR.ARMSTRONG IS ONE OF MUSIC'S GREATEST INSTRUMENTS.

Louis Armstrong The Hot Fives.......2000-03-04

This disc contains analog material recorded in the '20s and digitally remastered onto CD format. The sound on the disc is akin, nonetheless, to listening to an old RCA Victrola - it is atrocious, unlistenable. I am amazed at the positive customer reviews that led me astray. This will not stop me from buying other Armstrong discs, but "The Hot Fives" remastered by Columbia Jazz Masterpieces was put in the used CD bin the day I received it. I strongly recommend trying other discs unless sound quality is of no importance.

Average customer rating: The Great Turning Point

Hot Fives & Sevens, Vol. 3 Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Volume 1: Hot Fives ASIN: B0000026MT Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. S.O.L. Blues
2. Gully Low Blues
3. That's When I'll Come Back To You
4. Put 'Em Down Blues
5. Ory's Creole Trombone
6. The Last Time
7. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
8. Got No Blues
9. Once In A While
10. I'm Not Rough
11. Hotter Than That
12. Savoy Blues
13. Fireworks
14. Skip The Gutter
15. A Monday Date
16. Don't Jive Me

Amazon.com

By the time these recordings were made in 1927-28, Louis Armstrong had abandoned the darker sounding cornet in favor of the brasher, more brilliant tonality of the trumpet. The New Orleans ensemble effects so prominent in earlier Hot Five sessions were of secondary importance, as Armstrong's instrumental command ascended to dizzying heights. Pianist and soon-to-be ex-wife Lil Hardin's "Struttin with Some Barbecue" inspires the trumpeter to a soaring, brilliantly syncopated solo, while guitarist Lonnie Johnson's expressive blues playing inspires Louis to expressive new heights on "Hotter Than That" and "Savoy Blues." But it's the appearance of pianist Earl Hines on the June 27, 1928 recording session that marks a sea change in Armstrong's music. Here at last is an original thinker, with the chops, imagination, and daring to play with Louis at an Olympian level, beginning, appropriately enough, with their choruses on "Fireworks" and their dazzling exchanges on "Skip the Gutter." Hines' "A Monday Date" is a particular joy, from the humorous repartee (in which Louis tosses in a plug for his favorite local bootlegger) to Zutty Singleton's dancing spoons, to Hines's sprightly playing underneath Armstrong's vocals and the leader's punchy muted trumpet figures. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

The Great Turning Point.......2001-12-29

Like its two companion Volumes 1 and 2,this set follows the rapid evolution of Armstrong here in 1927-1928;the earlier part of this CD features the latter days of the original Hot 7 with "Struttin' With Some Barbeque" and "Ory's Creole Trombone" as stellar standouts,but it is first Armstrongs collaboration with early guitar ace Lonnie Johnson and thereafter the first sides with pianist Earl Hines that underscores the importance of collective chemistry in jazz,-both men are first-class musical minds and both push Armstrong on to previously unattained heights,-the call-and-response scat singing and guitar riffs of "Savoy Blues" are even surpassed by the almost symphonic complexity of the teamwork with Hines on "Fireworks". The low-fi sound (Which again I prefer to more recent reissues) cannot keep you away from the greatness of the jazz on this CD.If you already have Volumes 1 and 2 then GET THIS ONE!!!

Average customer rating: Essential music, great sound Superb Stuff

Hot Fives & Sevens, Vol. 1 Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Jsp Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hot Fives & Hot Sevens, Vol. 2 ASIN: B0000061O8 Release Date: 1998-05-05

Tracks:

1. My Heart
2. Yes! I'm In The The Barrel
3. Gut Bucket Blues
4. Come Back, Sweet Papa
5. Georgia Grind
6. Heebie Jeebies
7. Comet Chop Suey
8. Oriental Strut
9. You're Next
10. Muskrat Ramble
11. Don't Forget To Mess Around
12. I'm Gonna Gitcha
13. Dropping Shucks
14. Who' Sit
15. He Likes It Slow
16. The King Of The Zulus
17. Big Fat Ma And Skinny Pa
18. Lonesome Blues
19. Sweet Little Papa
20. Jazz Lips
21. Skid-Dat-De-Dat
22. Big Butter And Egg Man From The West
23. Sunset Cafe Stomp
24. You Made Me Love You
25. Irish Black Bottom

Customer Reviews:

Essential music, great sound.......2001-01-15

JSP's remastering of these 1920's tracks is terrific! Liner notes include master numbers, personnel, and dates. Tip : Spring for the JSP box set "Hot Fives and Sevens", which is all four volumes in this series in a slip-case at less than half the price of the individual parts.

Superb Stuff.......1998-09-02

Wonderfully joyous music. The remastering on the JSP label is awesome. The same goes for Volume 2.

Average customer rating: Treasures for all Time How it all started.

Hot Fives & Hot Sevens Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Jazzterdays Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000005MVP Release Date: 1996-05-21

Tracks:

1. Willie The Weeper
2. Wild Man Blues
3. Alligator Crawl
4. Potato Head Blues
5. Melancholy
6. Weary Blues
7. Twelfth Street Rag
8. Keyhole Blues
9. S.O.L. Blues
10. Gully Low Blues
11. That's When I'll Come Back To You
12. Put 'Em Down Blues
13. Ory's Creole Trombone
14. The Last Time
15. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
16. Got No Blues
17. Once In A While
18. Hotter Than That
19. Savoy Blues
20. Fireworks
21. Skip The Gutter
22. A Monday Date

Customer Reviews:

Treasures for all Time.......2005-12-23

Infectous, Joyous, Competent, Timeless!
Coupled with an ability to give the listener a
rewarding experience each and every time - is
there any doubt that 'real' music has these
traits as its constituants? These are sizzling,
melodious musical aromas for the heart and soul.

I am a jazz novice - and I may be staying that way.
I've heard a fair amount of contemporary jazz, but
nothing has ever hooked me. I didn't see what the
fuss about jazz was. I may never know. But if there
is such a thing as 'archtypical' jazz, I don't doubt
that this is it. This music has that glow, that instant
appeal, which offered me, someone who was disinterested
in jazz, a way 'in.' Thank you Mr. Armstrong and your Hot
Five and Sevens!!! We may live in the 'new millinium',
but some of us have kept our ears on the continuous
roar of the 1920s.

How it all started........1999-05-14

Man, oh man. Most people tend to think of Louis Armstrong as a nice old man with a gravelly voice who sang "Hello, Dolly" and "What a Wonderful World." Louis Armstrong CREATED jazz, and these recordings show how he did it. They are utterly revolutionary. Even today they are astonishing in their virtuosity. Listening to this makes you wonder how somebody like Kenny G even has a career...

Average customer rating: just right Great music, great sound

Hot Fives & Hot Sevens, Vol. 2 Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Jsp Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans & Dixieland Jazz | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Dixieland | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Hot Fives & Sevens, Vol. 1 ASIN: B0000061O9 Release Date: 1998-05-05

Tracks:

1. Willie The Weeper
2. Wild Man Blues
3. Chicago Breakdown
4. Alligator Crawl
5. Potato Head Blues
6. Melancholy Blues
7. Weary Blues
8. Twelfth Street Rag
9. Keyhole Blues
10. S.O.L. Blues
11. Gully Low Blues
12. That's When I'll Come Back To You
13. Put 'Em Down Blues
14. Ory's Creole Trombone
15. The Last Time
16. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
17. Got No Blues
18. Once In A While
19. I'm Not Rough
20. Hotter Than That
21. Savoy Blues

Customer Reviews:

just right.......2001-06-15

"How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!" (Psalm 89:15) This album is joyful--even the songs with titles like "Melancholy."

People always talk about what a great genius Louis Armstrong was and how spectacular his music is--and while I'm not one for buying into advance praise--I am forced to admit after listening to the first two volumes of the Hot Fives and Sevens...this is darn good music. Armstrong is awesome. The music is fun. It is played just right.

For some reason I prefer volume two over volume one. Volume two is filled with so many great songs...songs like "Big Butter and Egg Man," "Alligator Crawl," and the afore mentioned "Melancholy" give this volume a slight edge over its predecessor. This stuff is great.

I recommend "Hot Fives & Hot Sevens Volume Two" highly and look forward to hearing the last two volumes.

Great music, great sound.......2001-01-15

JSP's remastering of these 1920's tracks is terrific! Liner notes include master numbers, personnel, and dates. Tip : Spring for the JSP box set "Hot Fives and Sevens", which is all four volumes in this series in a slip-case at less than half the price of the individual parts.

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