The Hits Collection 1926-56

Louis Armstrong was one of the acknowledged innovative pioneers of early jazz, and one of the finest and most powerful trumpeters and cornetists in the genre, who shifted the focus from ensemble playing to solo performance during the 1920s with his legendary Hot Five.  However, with a career spanning five decades he had a long history of making hit records and having big sellers, not only during the early New Orleans era but through the swing and big band years until he transitioned into mainstream pop in the 1950s.  Very few collections have been based purely on his chart hits, so this 70-track 3-CD collection features just about all his releases on the Okeh, Columbia, Decca and Vocalion labels which were listed as hits during this 30-year period.  It features his 1932 No. 1 with “All Of Me”, plus timeless classics like “Muskrat Ramble”, “Chinatown, My Chinatown”, “Body And Soul”, “Shine”, “West End Blues”, and “Jeepers Creepers” right through to his US and UK success with “Mack The Knife” in 1956.  Inevitably it features performances with some of the most renowned jazz musicians of  the day, like Kid Ory, Johnny Dodds, Earl Hines, Zutty Singleton, Lionel Hampton, Lonnie Johnson and many more. It’s a substantial and entertaining overview of his extraordinary career from a particular standpoint, and a fine showcase for his prowess as one of the true greats of jazz.