JUNE 16

          LOUIS ARMSTRONG
            Hot Five session

                Recording Date:
                     June 15, 1926
                     Chicago

                Personnel:
                     Louie Armstrong  CT,Vo
                     Kid Ory                TB
                     Johnny Dodds       CL
                     Johnny St. Cyr      BJ

Don't Forget To Mess Around (Barbarin, P.; Armstrong, Louis) [master 9729-A] -- OKeh 8343
I'm Gonna Gitcha (Hardin, Lil) [master 9730-A] -- OKeh 8343
Droppin' Shucks (Hardin, Lil) [master 9731-A] -- OKeh 8357
Who'sit (Jones) [master 9732-A] -- OKeh 8357

Review by Scott Yanow
To say that the performances on this CD (plus the ones on volumes two through four) are classic would be an extreme understatement. With these first 16 recordings by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, the trumpeter revolutionized jazz, changing it from an ensemble-oriented music into an art form dominated by virtuoso soloists. The most powerful jazz improviser of the 1920s, Louis Armstrong's beautiful tone, his sense of swing (which set the stage for the big band era), and his chance-taking yet melodic improvisations amazed his contemporaries and permanently altered the future of jazz. With clarinetist Johnny Dodds (the pacesetter on his instrument), trombonist Kid Ory, pianist Lil Armstrong, and banjoist Johnny St. Cyr all making strong contributions, the music is consistently memorable and innovative.