The
Louis Armstrong
volume in
Columbia
's
Jazz Moods: Hot
series isn't a career overview, but it benefits from the narrowed focus. It concentrates on a very specific period in his career, the
Hot Fives
era of the late '20s, when
Armstrong
was introducing the most startling, innovative solo style in
jazz
history (some would argue he was inventing the solo style in
). Interestingly, it forsakes the usual introductory
performances (
"A Monday Date,"
"West End Blues"
) and relies mostly on instrumentals, the better to illustrate
's torrid work on the cornet. Although the brief running time makes it a purchase to discourage for anyone other than the budget listener,
paints a picture of
that those only familiar with the
Ken Burns
version of
history have never seen before. ~ John Bush