Louis Armstrong's Recording
| "West End Blues" | |
|---|---|
| Twelve-bar blues by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five | |
| Released | 1928 (1928) |
| Recorded | 1928 (1928) |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Composer | Joe "King" Oliver |
By far the best known recording of "West End Blues" is the 3-minute-plus, 78 RPM recording made by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five in 1928.
Armstrong plays trumpet (and does some scat singing) backed by a band that included the pianist Earl Hines. Armstrong played an eight-bar trumpet solo near the end of the record.
Other portions of this record also in high regard include the trumpet introduction by Armstrong that begins the song - this cadenza incorporates an almost syncopated opening, the wordless 'scat' singing chorus by Armstrong where he accompanies and varies a melody played by the clarinetist, and a piano solo by Hines. The number is closed by a metallic click by drummer Zutty Singleton.
This recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.
Jazz writer and historian William Russell has commented that other jazz trumpeters would be better off avoiding the too frequent imitations of Armstrong's introduction on the number; while the most virtuosic may have the technical ability to duplicate Armstrong's notes, they still suffer in comparison to Armstrong's feeling and originality.
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