A Treat For Teagarden Fans

This fine concert from November 1947 will especially please Jack Teagarden fans, and also will convert the rest of you. T. sings and plays superbly on "Stars Fell On Alabama", making it easy to see why it came to be identified with him. He also sings and plays a very energetic trombone on "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home". Listen for the stunning cadenza at the end of the song. "Lover" also features Jack.

The other members of the All Stars also excel here. Listen with joy to Barney Bigard's almost otherworldly clarinet on the intro and outro to "Body and Soul". I love many versions of this song, one of the most beautiful of all standards, but this is one of my favorites.

Mr. Armstrong, as usual astonishes, and his performances, vocally and instrumentally, include many sublime moments, none of which are lost on the crowd. Oh, to have been there!

The sound quality here is good overall, and better than on the famous Town Hall concert six months earlier.

Armstrong's classic sextet in fine form

This album records a concert at Boston's Symphony Hall with Louis Armstrong's newly-formed sextet, featuring in its front line Jack Teagarten on trombone and Ellington alumnus Barny Bigard on clarinet, in the rhythm section Sid Catlett on drums, and Louis' alter-ego Velma Middleton on vocals. Louis had just disbanded his large swing band, and he is clearly revitalized by this small group. Sparks fly, especially between Armstrong and Teagarten, who share vocal chores on "Rocking Chair" and other cuts as well as improvisations on their horns. Clearly a mutual admiration society. Armstrong maintained this configuration for years, through the 1960's, but never again with a group of this consistent quality. Catlett drives the band, Middleton and Armstrong have a great, funny duet on "That's My Desire", and Bigard complements his front-line cohorts with fluid, graceful and pungent clarinet-work. All in all, an album worth having, for both Armstrong and Teagarten fans, and even for those simply interested in great jazz. There may be more historically important Armstrong recordings, but there are few that are more exciting.