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PH · 05-10-2006, 10:14 AM

The thread Manny started about listening to jazz pre-1950 got me thinking about Louis Armstrong and his Hot Fives and Hot Sevens recordings.

The way he plays on these cuts is astounding, especially considering that we are talking about the middle to late 1920s. On almost all of these cuts Pops leaves his bandmates in the dust. He is a quantum leap ahead of them in terms of harmonic language, rhythmic language, virtuosity, invention, drama, and virtually every other aspect of artistry.

The above is particularly astounding when you understand that the Hot Five was a "super group". This was not Pops' working band. The other players were all heavyweight well-known jazz stars and leaders in their own right...especially Kid Ory and the Dodds brothers. On virtually every cut Louis makes these contemporary heavyweight players sound like they are playing checkers while he is playing chess. Only the game board is similar.

So many things from Armstrong in the 1920s are not merely good, but magnificent. In the other thread people are raving about Cornet Chop Suey. Many knowledgable people would tell you that West End Blues is the greatest jazz solo of all time. Personally, I love Struttin' With Some Barbecue and the duet cuts with Earl Hines (Weather Bird and For No Reason At All in C) just as much. However...

Recently I have been blown away by a cut called Hotter than That. This is one of Armstrong's first great recordings where he both plays and sings improvised solos on an extraordinarily high level. You will hear great players and teachers frequently talk about trying to make your playing like singing. Hotter than That is probably the best example I can think of from all of recorded jazz to illustrate how this works.

He sings and plays with exactly the same rhythmic sense. He uses the same harmonic language. You can see that he hears and executes the music in exactly the same way whether singing or playing. His approach to vibrato, articulation/pronunciation, intonation, inflection, phrasing...EVERYTHING is identical.

What a great lesson this is for all of us in any style of music.

Check it out and tell us what you hear.

05-10-2006, 10:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
PH Mezzo Piano User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Bloomington, Indiana Posts: 582	Hotter Than That The thread Manny started about listening to jazz pre-1950 got me thinking about Louis Armstrong and his Hot Fives and Hot Sevens recordings. The way he plays on these cuts is astounding, especially considering that we are talking about the middle to late 1920s. On almost all of these cuts Pops leaves his bandmates in the dust. He is a quantum leap ahead of them in terms of harmonic language, rhythmic language, virtuosity, invention, drama, and virtually every other aspect of artistry. The above is particularly astounding when you understand that the Hot Five was a "super group". This was not Pops' working band. The other players were all heavyweight well-known jazz stars and leaders in their own right...especially Kid Ory and the Dodds brothers. On virtually every cut Louis makes these contemporary heavyweight players sound like they are playing checkers while he is playing chess. Only the game board is similar. So many things from Armstrong in the 1920s are not merely good, but magnificent. In the other thread people are raving about Cornet Chop Suey. Many knowledgable people would tell you that West End Blues is the greatest jazz solo of all time. Personally, I love Struttin' With Some Barbecue and the duet cuts with Earl Hines (Weather Bird and For No Reason At All in C) just as much. However... Recently I have been blown away by a cut called Hotter than That. This is one of Armstrong's first great recordings where he both plays and sings improvised solos on an extraordinarily high level. You will hear great players and teachers frequently talk about trying to make your playing like singing. Hotter than That is probably the best example I can think of from all of recorded jazz to illustrate how this works. He sings and plays with exactly the same rhythmic sense. He uses the same harmonic language. You can see that he hears and executes the music in exactly the same way whether singing or playing. His approach to vibrato, articulation/pronunciation, intonation, inflection, phrasing...EVERYTHING is identical. What a great lesson this is for all of us in any style of music. Check it out and tell us what you hear.