Louis Armstrong - The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia And RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966 (2021)

7 CDs will take listeners into the studio with Louis Armstrong in a way never previously imaginable
Over three hours of bonus material, including unissued takes, rehearsals and even studio discussions. Since George Avakian relied so much on editing and splicing, his albums contained very few complete, unedited takes.
Superior sound utilizing the original RCA Victor metal parts, and test pressings of the pre-tape material and for the Columbia sessions Mosaic Records had complete access to all the reel-to-reel tapes.

Nearly 50 years after his passing, Louis Armstrong’s achievements as a trumpeter, vocalist, actor, author, Civil Rights advocate, and humanitarian remain unparalleled.

He left behind a timeless body of work with hit records in every decade, including seminal albums such as Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy, Satch Plays Fats and The Real Ambassadors. The opportunity to go behind the scenes to hear how Armstrong created these masterworks in the studio has never been possible-until now.

The story begins in 1946 with Louis Armstrong still toting a big band across the country on an endless series of one-nighters. After signing a new contract with RCA Victor, Armstrong immediately made his first recordings with Duke Ellington as part of an “Esquire All-American 1946 Award Winners” date overseen by Leonard Feather. RCA gave Armstrong the opportunity to record his regular working band, but also showcased the trumpeter in a small group setting thanks to the filming of New Orleans in the fall of 1946. With the writing on the wall, Armstrong recorded four sensational sides with small group featuring Bobby Hackett and Jack Teagarden in June 1947, eventually leading to the formation of his popular small group, the All Stars.

All 29 of Armstrong’s 1946-1947 RCA recordings are being presented here in superb fidelity, transferred from the original metal parts.

Louis Armstrong & George Avakian: A Perfect Match

Armstrong spent the next several years recording popular hits for Decca Records, elevating his popularity but hurting his reputation with some in the jazz world. George Avakian relished the opportunity to record his longtime friend in a more jazz-centric setting but couldn’t get through Decca’s ironclad contract. When he finally got the opportunity to make a one-off album in July 1954, Avakian made the most of it.

The result was Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy, long regarded as the finest long-playing album of Armstrong’s entire career. Armstrong’s All Stars, featuring Trummy Young, Barney Bigard, Billy Kyle, Arvell Shaw, Barrett Deems, and Velma Middleton, were in top form on a series of compositions by the “Father of the Blues,” W. C. Handy. Avakian was known for his copious postproduction work, splicing the best portions of each take in order to present the optimal listening experience. The result was a critical and commercial smash. “They’re perfect-they’re my tops,” Armstrong said of the final album.

Armstrong’s manager Joe Glaser couldn’t argue with the results and allowed Avakian to record a follow up in 1955, this time featuring the compositions of Armstrong’s old friend, Fats Waller. The resulting album, Satch Plays Fats, was another masterpiece, featuring emotional readings of “Blue Turning Grey Over You” and “Black and Blue” and romps on Waller favorites such as “Ain’t Misbehavin'” and “Honeysuckle Rose.”

For his next idea, Avakian eschewed the works of Handy and Waller and instead turned to Kurt Weill in having Armstrong record “A Theme from a Threepenny Opera,” soon to become better known as the monster hit, “Mack the Knife.” Avakian’s remarkable run of Armstrong recordings ended the following year but the general consensus has always been that no other producer captured Armstrong better in his 1950s late period prime on Handy, Fats, and “Mack the Knife” (not to mention Ambassador Satch, already covered in now out-of-print 2014 Mosaic Records set).

Who’s’ The Real Ambassdor

In September 1957, Louis Armstrong put his entire career on the line to speak out against injustice in Little Rock, Arkansas, disgusted by Governor Oval Faubus sending in the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African American students from integrating Little Rock Central High School. “The way they’re treating my people in the south, the government can go to hell,” Armstrong told reporters, making headlines around the world. No one else in the jazz world spoke up at that time but two figures were deeply moved by Armstrong’s courageous stance: Dave and Iola Brubeck.

The Brubecks immediately began writing what they envisioned as a lavish Broadway musical based around the notion that the “Jazz Ambassadors” the State Department was sending around the world were more important than the political ambassadors, even though many of those same musicians were fighting for their rights in their homeland. The work was originally titled World, Take a Holiday in 1959 and was written to star Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae and the vocal trio of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Unable to get their work off the ground on Broadway, Brubeck used his post-“Take Five” clout to have Columbia record selections from the score of their work, now titled The Real Ambassadors, in 1961.

Armstrong was 60 years old, still recovering from a heart attack, and had recently returned from a grueling State Department tour of Africa that found his mere presence enough to temporary halt a civil war in the Congo. With a lifetime of wisdom at his disposal and mortality now staring him in the eyes, Armstrong brought a gravitas to his work on The Real Ambassadors, whether summoning up deep nostalgia on the touching “Summer Song” or singing with tears in his eyes on “They Say I Look Like God.” The result was years ahead of its time, but both Brubeck and Armstrong remained especially proud of it until the end of their respective lives.

Mosaic Records Uncovers Hours of Bonus Material

While assembling this set, the producers were greeted by dozens of surprises on the original session tapes. Because Avakian relied so much on editing and splicing, his albums contained very few complete, unedited takes. This set will make up for that, with over three hours of bonus material, including unissued takes, rehearsals and even studio discussions, creating the most intimate portrait of Armstrong, the All Stars, and Avakian at work in the studios.

And as a tribute to Avakian, we are also including newly remastered transfers of the original albums in their original sequence, giving listeners the rare opportunity to hear the beloved master takes side-by-side with their unedited counterparts.

As with the 1950s material, Mosaic Records is thrilled to present over 75 minutes of material not found on the original album, including previously unissued alternate takes of each one of Armstrong’s features, including multiple takes of both “Summer Song” and “They Say I Look Like God,” two of the highpoints of not just the album, but Armstrong’s entire career.

More Than Just Music

Mosaic Records has long been known for its extraordinary packaging, but this set has gone above and beyond in telling the stories behind the making of the music, including an extremely in-depth 30,000 word essay from Armstrong biographer Ricky Riccardi and over 40 photos from the collections of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the great majority of which have never been published.

Whether you’ve listened to this music for 60 years or it is your first time, Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Recordings of Louis Armstrong 1946-1966 is an essential purchase for anyone interested in Satchmo the Great. Like all Mosaic releases, this will be a limited edition set and is guaranteed to be one of our most popular releases so act fast and don’t miss out on this definitive document of why Pops will always remain tops.

“Mosaic is the king of the boxed set, releasing beautifully packaged reissues with some of the most exhaustive liner notes in the industry”
– David Germain, Associated Press

Tracklist
Disc 1
1. Esquire All-American 1946 Award Winners – Long Long Journey (04:33)
2. Esquire All-American 1946 Award Winners – Snafu (04:16)
3. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – Linger In My Arms A Little Longer (02:57)
4. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – Whatta Ya Gonna Do? (02:53)
5. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – No Variety Blues (02:54)
6. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – Joseph ’N His Brudders (03:03)
7. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – Back O' Town Blues (03:15)
8. Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven – I Want A Little Girl (03:01)
9. Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven – Sugar (03:25)
10. Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven – Blues For Yesterday (02:36)
11. Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven – Blues In The South (03:03)
12. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – Endie (02:53)
13. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – The Blues Are Brewin' (02:55)
14. Louis Armstrong And His Dixieland Seven – Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (03:00)
15. Louis Armstrong And His Dixieland Seven – Where The Blues Were Born In New Orleans (03:06)
16. Louis Armstrong And His Dixieland Seven – Mahogany Hall Stomp (02:57)
17. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder (02:33)
18. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – I Believe (03:00)
19. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – Why Doubt My Love (03:24)
20. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – It Takes Time (02:40)
21. Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – You Don't Learn That In School (02:41)
22. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Jack-Armstrong Blues (03:01)
23. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Rockin' Chair (03:06)
24. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Some Day (You'll Be Sorry) (03:13)
25. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Fifty-Fifty Blues (02:59)

Disc 2
1. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – A Song Was Born (03:20)
2. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Please Stop Playing Those Blues, Boys (03:20)
3. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Before Long (02:55)
4. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Lovely Weather We're Having (03:19)
5. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – 'Taint What You Do (02:47)
6. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Back O' Town Blues (03:51)
7. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Mack The Knife (03:25)
8. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars & Lotte Lenya – Mack The Knife (03:13)
9. Louis Armstrong – Rain, Rain (02:40)
10. Louis Armstrong – I Never Saw A Better Day (03:13)
11. Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Rosemary Clooney & The Hi-Lo's – Music To Shave By (02:45)
12. Louis Armstrong – Cabaret (03:10)
13. Louis Armstrong – Canal Street Blues (03:01)
14. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – ’Taint What You Do (-5 And Discussion From Rehearsal Take) (03:33)
15. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Back O’ Town Blues (Rehearsal) (05:50)
16. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Mack The Knife (Rehearsal #1) (04:21)
17. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Mack The Knife (-1) (03:51)
18. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Mack The Knife (Rehearsal #2 And Voice Tracks) (02:43)
19. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Mack The Knife (-3 And Inserts #1) (04:19)
20. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Mack The Knife (-7) (03:35)
21. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars & Lotte Lenya – Mack The Knife (BDs And Inserts) (08:35)
22. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Mack The Knife (Moritat) (Instrumental) (02:11)

Disc 3
1. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – St. Louis Blues (08:53)
2. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Yellow Dog Blues (04:16)
3. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Loveless Love (04:28)
4. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Aunt Hagar's Blues (04:59)
5. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Long Gone (05:11)
6. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – The Memphis Blues (03:00)
7. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Beale Street Blues (04:57)
8. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Ole Miss Blues (03:27)
9. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Chantez-Les Bas (04:48)
10. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Hesitating Blues (05:21)
11. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Atlanta Blues (04:34)
12. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – St. Louis Blues (-3) And Armstrong / Avakian Discussion (12:11)
13. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – St. Louis Blues (-4) (08:57)
14. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Yellow Dog Blues (-1) (04:32)

Disc 4
1. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Loveless Love (Rehearsal Take) (06:10)
2. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Loveless Love (-8) (04:38)
3. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Loveless Love (Insert Take) (03:28)
4. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Aunt Hagar's Blues (-1 Through -4) (05:13)
5. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Aunt Hagar's Blues (-9) (05:12)
6. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Alligator Story (00:48)
7. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Long Gone (Rehearsal #1) (05:15)
8. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Long Gone (-1 And Rehearsal #2) (05:17)
9. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Long Gone (-5) (07:53)
10. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – The Memphis Blues (-2) (03:09)
11. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Beale Street Blues (-1) (04:35)
12. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Ole Miss Blues (-1) (04:47)
13. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Ole Miss Blues (-3) (04:43)
14. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Chantez-Les Bas (-2) (03:53)
15. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Hesitating Blues (Rehearsal Take) (05:38)
16. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Atlanta Blues (-2) (04:55)
17. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Atlanta Blues (-3) (04:39)

Disc 5
1. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Honeysuckle Rose (02:53)
2. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Blue Turning Grey Over You (04:57)
3. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (04:26)
4. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Squeeze Me (05:04)
5. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now (03:20)
6. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – All That Meat And No Potatoes (05:17)
7. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling (03:10)
8. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Black And Blue (04:42)
9. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Ain't Misbehavin' (03:58)
10. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Honeysuckle Rose (-1) (05:00)
11. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Honeysuckle Rose (-5) (03:12)
12. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Blue Turning Grey Over You (-2) (04:50)
13. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Blue Turning Grey Over You (-3 And Inserts) (06:47)
14. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Blue Turning Grey Over You (-5) (05:28)
15. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (-3) (04:53)
16. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (-5) (04:55)
17. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Squeeze Me (-1) (06:21)

Disc 6
1. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now (-4) (03:37)
2. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now (-9) (03:28)
3. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – All That Meat And No Potatoes (-1) (05:06)
4. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling (-2) (03:27)
5. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling (-5) (03:21)
6. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Black And Blue (Rehearsal) (03:24)
7. Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars – Ain't Misbehavin' (-1) (04:46)
8. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Everybody's Comin' (01:50)
9. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Cultural Exchange (04:42)
10. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Good Reviews (02:09)
11. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Remember Who You Are (02:33)
12. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – My One Bad Habit (02:41)
13. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Summer Song (03:18)
14. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – King For A Day (03:41)
15. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Blow Satchmo (00:48)
16. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – The Real Ambassador (03:12)
17. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – In The Lurch (02:32)
18. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – One Moment Worth Years (04:22)
19. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – They Say I Look Like God (05:30)
20. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Since Love Had Its Way (02:35)
21. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – I Didn't Know Until You Told Me (03:02)
22. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Swing Bells / Blow Satchmo / Finale (06:03)

Disc 7
1. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Nomad (02:56)
2. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – You Swing Baby (The Duke) (02:36)
3. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Lonesome (02:30)
4. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Nomad (-10) (03:26)
5. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Lonesome (1st Version) (-2) (03:08)
6. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Lonesome (2nd Version) (-3 And Reading) (04:17)
7. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Everybody's Comin' (-2) (01:59)
8. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Cultural Exchange (-2) (05:29)
9. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Good Reviews (-7 / Tags #1 & #2) (02:40)
10. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Good Reviews (Insert -2) (01:48)
11. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Remember Who You Are (-6) (02:54)
12. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Summer Song (-2 And Inserts) (03:37)
13. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – King For A Day (-4) (04:09)
14. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Blow Satchmo (-1) (01:28)
15. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – The Real Ambassador (-4) (BD) (01:08)
16. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – The Real Ambassador (-5) (03:53)
17. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – One Moment Worth Years (-1) (04:29)
18. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – They Say I Look Like God (-1) (04:54)
19. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – They Say I Look Like God (-3) (05:14)
20. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Since Love Had Its Way (-2) (02:51)
21. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – I Didn't Know Until You Told Me (-5) (03:04)
22. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Swing Bells (Remake Insert #1-4) (00:45)
23. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Blow Satchmo (Remake -1) (01:11)
24. Louis Armstrong And His Band, Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks And Ross & Carmen McRae – Finale (-1) (00:33)