Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy

Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy is a 1954 studio release by Louis Armstrong and His All Stars, described by Allmusic as "Louis Armstrong's finest record of the 1950s" and "essential music for all serious jazz collections". Columbia CD released the album on CD in 1986 in a much altered form, with alternative versions in place of many of the original songs, but restored the original with its 1997 re-issue, which also included additional tracks: a brief interview by the producer, George Avakian, with W. C. Handy; a joke told by Louis Armstrong; and several rehearsal versions of the songs.

Track listing

Side 1

"St. Louis Blues" (Handy) - 8:50

"Yellow Dog Blues" (Handy) - 4:16

"Loveless Love" (Handy) - 4:28

"Aunt Hagar's Blues" (Brymn, Handy) - 4:57

"Long Gone (From The Bowlin' Green)" (Handy, Chris Smith) - 5:08

Side 2

"The Memphis Blues (Or Mister Crump)" (Handy, George A. Norton) - 2:59

"Beale Street Blues" (Handy) - 4:56

"Ole Miss Blues" (Handy) - 3:25

"Chantez Les Bas (Sing 'Em Low)" (Handy) - 4:48

"Hesitating Blues" (Handy) - 5:20

"Atlanta Blues (Make Me One Pallet on Your Floor)" (Dave Elman, Handy) - 4:33

1997 CD bonus tracks

"George Avakian's Interview with W. C. Handy" - 2:44

"Loveless Love [Rehearsal Sequence]" (Handy) - 5:55

"Hesitating Blues [Rehearsal Sequence]" (Handy) - 5:38

"Alligator Story" - 0:47

"Long Gone (From The Bowlin' Green) [Rehearsal Sequence]" (Handy, Smith) - 7:53

Personnel

Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocals

Trummy Young – trombone

Barney Bigard – clarinet

Billy Kyle – piano

Arvell Shaw – double bass

Barrett Deems – drums

Velma Middleton – vocals

Production

George Avakian – producer, engineer, liner notes, reissue producer

Mark Wilder – engineer, digital mastering

Seth Rothstein – project director, project manager

Rene Arsenault – production assistant

Cozbi Sanchez-Cabrera – art direction, reissue art director

Steven Berkowitz – reissue series

Kevin Gore – reissue series

Randall Martin – reissue design

References

1954 albums

Louis Armstrong albums

Albums produced by George Avakian

Columbia Records albums