In 1954, Louis Armstrong went into the studio to make more magic and what came out of that was this piece of jazz bliss. St. Louis Blues is definatley the coolest song Satch ever played. It's a really big difference from the 1929 version although both are great. When it comes to the trumpet there are three titans and they are Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie. When it comes to the trumpet's brother, the cornet there are only two; Louis Armstrong and his mentor and "idol" the great Joe "King" Oliver. Listen to this and you will feel the same about the man whom many feel to be the greatest musician of the 20th century and since music is pretty much dead these days, Louis Armstrong-the greatest musician of all time.

This is simply a magic recording! This is Louis Armstrong at his best! The fact that the material is that of W.C. Handy makes this recording all the better and a treasure for the music lover! Flawless!

This album is often hailed as one of Armstrong's best. This is no surprise: the music nears the miraculous. This is late Armstrong with a vengeance. Every song is a gem. Armstrong's vocals are beyond belief, and his duets with Velma Middleton add much variety and color to the music. The band is on as on can get. This is, in fact, one of those albums that one has to look very hard to find faults (I still haven't found any, but I'll let you know probably never).

The CD booklet tells the story of the making of this classic album. Its roots can be traced back to a business lunch in 1954, which proves that timeless art can have very humble origins. Also included is the story of reconstructing the tapes from the sessions of this album. The story is a sad one as the producer finds that many of the original material has been scrapped or "improved" (which more or less meant destroyed in this case). It's very interesting how the team reconstructed this album for its second CD release (its first release was in 1986 and not considered satisfactory for many reasons).

The bonus material is interesting in elucidating how this album was made and also offers a peek at Armstrong's methodology for putting together a song with his band. Armstrong's "Alligator Story" provides a fun aside to the music.

This album is only one reason why Louis Armstrong is considered one of America's best and most influential artists ever. Put it on and be convinced in under 10 notes.

I have just recently bought this cd and have fallen in love with it. There is not much point writing it's praises as all the reviews below have done that. All I can say is that this is one of the best blues/jazz cd's that I have heard in a very long time. The mastering is fabulous and could have been recorded yesterday, that's how good the sound is.
The music itself is very traditional and has a New Orleans feel. It sounds as if the musicians are hamming it up, clowning around and enjoying themselves. This enjoyment will jump out of your speakers and you won't be able to stop yourself smiling. Velma's voice is pretty good too and you can tell, she's enjoying this recording date as much Louis and the fella's.
This is probably one of (if not) the best album of Pops that I have heard and can't recommend it enough.

I have lots of L. Armstrong albums, and I love this one the best. I lent it to a 28 year old male, a 59 year old couple, and I'm a 48 year old white woman. Everyone gives it 5 plus stars. Even if you're not a LA fan, you'll like this.