Louis In London

Description

A true legend of Jazz, Louis Armstrong left an indelible mark on the history of American popular music. From his beginnings in Louisiana at the start of the 20th century to the legendary “What a Wonderful World” in 1967, the trumpet virtuoso with the singular voice would carry Jazz far beyond the complex dogmas of a music many might have imagined reserved for insiders without him. In 1969, in Louis Armstrong’s living room in New York, guests were invited to listen to the quality of his latest high-fidelity equipment. To do so, the absolute master of Jazz pulled out the tapes of the live BBC recording sessions recorded one year earlier (July 1968). Very quickly, the listening focused more on the work itself than on the sound of the maestro’s latest toy. It was while listening to this live recording that Armstrong, physically weakened but still driven by his passion for music, decided to recover from his health problems in order to return to the energy and power of these London sessions. After contacting all the participants in this live recording made for the BBC, Louis had to face the facts and declared himself “forfait” at the idea of reliving this moment of music and communion. The tapes sent to the members of the All Star present at the BBC all bear the mention “For The Fans” and are released for the first time, enhanced by two previously unreleased rehearsal sessions.