Louis Armstrong
's later work in the '30s, '40s, and beyond has usually taken a critical backseat to his earlier material recorded with the
Hot Fives
and
Hot Sevens
in the '20s. It could be argued, however, that his later work, while no longer revolutionary, was more accessible to the general public who appreciated his vocals as much as his trumpet playing.
Platinum and Gold Collection
reaches back into the
Bluebird
vault to collect a sampling of
Armstrong
's music from two separate periods: the first, orchestra recordings dating back to 1933, represented by gems like
"I've Got the World on a String,"
and the second, smaller group recordings from 1946-47, featuring favorites like
"Pennies From Heaven."
Most of the cuts equally balance
's singing and playing, and the two time periods blend well. If the latter material gets a slight nod it's because
Satchmo
gets to match musical wits with the likes of pianist
Billy Strayhorn
, alto
Johnny Hodges
, and trombonist
Jack Teagarden
. There's a fine take on
Maceo Pinkard
's
"Sugar,"
kicking off with a lovely trumpet solo, and a winning version of
"Ain't Misbehavin'"
with
's trademark vocal treatment.
offers a good one-stop collection to check out two productive periods for
, and also a good place to trace the steps of an artist who kept making changes to keep his sound fresh. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.