From Oct, 1924 with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra......

to July, 1968 performing in Las Vegas with the Allstars, no other Louis Armstrong compilation provides the listner with a more in depth and satisfying collection of Satchmo's colossal talent. These 59 selections, performing with jazz illuminaries such as Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy Dorsey, the Mills Brothers, Gordon Jenkins, Sy Oliver, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, not to mention his own Louis Armstrong Orchestra and Allstars have been painstakenly restored and presented in chronologial sequence. Both jazz aficionado and novice will delight at the marvelous selection of Satchmo classics such as Jeepers Creepers, Ain't Misbehavin', When the Saints Go Marchin' In, Basin Street Blues, When It's Sleepy Time Down South, What a Wonderful World, Cararet and so many many more. To say this is absolute essential listening is like saying the New York Yankees are a pretty good ball club.

Not normally a compilation guy likes this one!

Bought this compilation here in Spain, as a sort of temporary fix while I?m away from the States. This CD includes virtually nothing from my favorite works, but it?s turned out to be a good thing. Strings or no, his version of "It?s All in the Game" is beautifully sung. And, proving once again that nobody sang it like Louis, the version here of "Sweet Lorraine" made me appreciate a standard that I had always ignored. Oh, how he sings, "...I?m so happy / when it?s rainin' I don?t miss the sun..."!! In particular, I was ignorant of his work in the late thirties and early forties, and what they have here has converted me. I don?t normally find myself buying compilations, and especially with artists I?m already familiar with, but this is one I will continue listening to until I can get all the performances on other CDs. If you buy this, may you enjoy it much!