Satchmo in England
Louis in London was recorded on July 2, 1968 in front of a live BBC studio audience. By this time, decades of consistent touring all over the world started to take a severe toll on Armstrong's (affectionately known as "Satchmo") body. The end of his career was unavoidably coming into sight. This surely did not stop Satchmo from giving an upbeat and sharp performance to an eager, excited, and appreciative crowd.
The five-piece backing combo moves fluently
from song to song, and while Satchmo's well-timed trumpet playing seems to take
a background role a bit, he effortlessly weaves the audience thorough musical
voyages with his instantly recognizable, rich, gravelly voice.
Satchmo treats the audience to a variety of hits such as "Hello, Dolly!," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "What a Wonderful World"—which reached number one on the UK charts some weeks earlier. Nearly half of the material on Louis in London was previously unreleased, which must have been a nice treat for his fans during the peak of his popularity. Whatever the case may be, the combination of material is perfect, and I found myself listening to this album over and over again.
A short time after the performance, Satchmo's
health unfortunately took another sharp downturn and he returned to his home in
Corona, New York. The BBC appearance not only served as his farewell to the
U.K., but also to his nearly non-stop global touring (sometimes 300 shows a
year). Armstrong died in 1971 and, while this may have been his last album, it's
perfectly performed and beautifully played in front of an enthusiastic and adoring
audience. This is an excellent album that should appeal to multiple generations
for a very long time.
