Archival Tape Edition No. 15

Norman Granz signed Armstrong to his Verve roster and placed him with label hero Oscar Peterson's trio, augmented by Bellson, for these 2 relaxed, unhurried sessions recorded on October 14, 1957 first issued on LP in 1959. Undoubtedly, 1957 was a momentous year for the 56-year old Satchmo. It encompassed his major Musical Autobiography recordings, the various Ella and Louis sessions, the Porgy and Bess album and sundry other band releases, plus the tyranny of his perpetual round of one-nighters, so he probably relished this chance to sit down with Peterson, his trumpet mostly untouched, taking it relatively easy, his peerless, husky vocals uppermost. While Peterson fans saw this combination with Armstrong as a backward step given his usual association with the top modern stars of the day, there's plenty here to applaud nonetheless. Just to hear Armstrong handle "Blues In The Night",  complete with its beautifully balanced trumpet solo, is enough to justify Granz's original idea.

MUSICIANS

• Trumpet: Louis Armstrong
• Piano: Oscar Peterson
• Guitar: Herb Ellis
• Bass: Ray Brown
• Drums: Louie Bellson

*The total circulation of this Mastercut release is strictly limited to a maximum total of 999 records.
As of today, the following different editions have been released:
Premier Cut: 01-99
USA Edition: 01-500