Yet another side of Louis

On "Louis And The Angels" (1957) he is accompanied by the Sy Oliver Orchestra and Choir who lean on the pop side, but in this case it works just fine. Billy Kyle, an All-Star staple, is on piano. You still have Louis' fantastic vocal delivery and trumpet flourishes as well. The choir of course adds an angelic quality that puts these songs in a different light than Louis' straight "good ol' good ones" jazz recordings. There's romance here too, with "You're A Heavenly Thing", "When Did You Leave Heaven" and "I Married An Angel". Louis is right at home with these tunes.

"Louis And The Good Book" (1958) reads much sweeter, with his All-Stars there to back him up, Trummy Young, Billy Kyle, Barrett Deams and others. Again the Sy Oliver Choir makes their appearance known as well. These sessions have a much heavier feel with meaningful tunes such as "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child", two subjects that Louis has dealt with his whole life. On the former, Louis' spoken introduction even makes an attempt to explain his choice to do this type of album. He tells of how there are times when you feel the need to look up. Funny, because as I listen I'm looking up at Louis right now and thanking him for yet another treasure.