The First Hot Five
The original Hot Five were, other than Armstrong's wife Lil Hardin Armstrong on piano, all New Orleans musicians who Armstrong had worked with in that city in the 1910s: Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, and Johnny St. Cyr on guitar and banjo.
For some or all of the Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven sides, Ory was in New York City working with King Oliver's band, and was replaced, probably by John Thomas.
On one session in December 1927, Lonnie Johnson was added on guitar.
The recordings of this group are considered by many to be uneven, with some of the blunders (e.g. the mis-timed hokum at the end of Heebie Jeebies) becoming notorious in jazz circles, and the solos of Dodds, Ory and Hardin sounding distinctly pedestrian in comparison with Armstrong's. However, the ensemble passages are frequently effective, and the genius of Armstrong's cornet or trumpet playing touch virtually every recording and often provide extended great passages. Some of the more eminent examples are Cornet Chop Suey, Muskrat Ramble, Hotter Than That and Struttin' With Some Barbecue.
Read more about this topic: Louis Armstrong And His Hot Five
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