Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions explained

The Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions were recorded between 1925 and 1928 by Louis Armstrong with his Hot Five and Hot Seven groups. According to the National Recording Registry, "Louis Armstrong was jazz's first great soloist and is among American music's most important and influential figures. These sessions, his solos in particular, set a standard musicians still strive to equal in their beauty and innovation." These recordings were added to the National Recording Registry in 2002, the first year of the institution's existence.

Ron Wynn and Bruce Boyd Raeburn, writing for the All Music Guide to Jazz, note that "these recordings radically altered jazz's focus; instead of collective playing, Armstrong's spectacular instrumental (and vocal) improvisations redefined the music." Armstrong helped popularize scat singing in "Heebie Jeebies," and his solo on "Potato Head Blues" helped establish the stop-time technique in jazz.

Recordings

1925–1926 Hot Five recordings

  1. "My Heart" (Lil Armstrong)
  2. "Yes! I'm in the Barrel"
  3. "Gut Bucket Blues"
  4. "Come Back Sweet Papa" (Paul Barbarin, Luis Russell)
  5. "Georgia Grind" (Spencer Williams)
  6. "Heebie Jeebies" (Boyd Atkins)
  7. "Cornet Chop Suey"
  8. "Oriental Strut" (Johnny St. Cyr)
  9. "You're Next"
  10. "Muskrat Ramble" (Kid Ory)
  11. "Don't Forget to Mess Around" (Armstrong, Barbarin)
  12. "I'm Gonna Gitcha" (Lil Hardin)
  13. "Droppin' Shucks" (Hardin)
  14. "Who' Sit" (Richard M. Jones)
  15. "He Likes It Slow" (J. Edwards)
  16. "The King of the Zulus" (Lil Armstrong)
  17. "Big Fat Ma and Skinny Pa" (Richard M. Jones)
  18. "Lonesome Blues" (Hardin)
  19. "Sweet Little Papa" (Ory)
  20. "Jazz Lips" (Hardin)
  21. "Skid-Dat-De-Dat" (Hardin)
  22. "Big Butter and Egg Man" (Armstrong, Percy Venable)
  23. "Sunset Cafe Stomp" (Armstrong, Venable)
  24. "You Made Me Love You" (Armstrong, Venable)
  25. "Irish Black Bottom" (Armstrong, Venable)

1927 Hot Seven recordings

  1. "Willie the Weeper" (Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose)
  2. "Wild Man Blues" (Armstrong, "Jelly Roll" Morton)
  3. "Chicago Breakdown" (Morton)
  4. "Alligator Crawl" (Joe Davis, Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller)
  5. "Potato Head Blues"
  6. "Melancholy Blues" (Bloom, Melrose)
  7. "Weary Blues" (Artie Matthews)
  8. "Twelfth Street Rag" (Euday Bowman)
  9. "Keyhole Blues" (Wesley Wilson)
  10. "S.O.L. Blues"
  11. "Gully Low Blues"
  12. "That's When I'll Come Back to You" (Biggs)

1927 Hot Five recordings

  1. "Put 'Em Down Blues" (Armstrong)
  2. "Ory's Creole Trombone" (Ory)
  3. "The Last Time" (Ewing, Martin)
  4. "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" (Armstrong)
  5. "Got No Blues" (Hardin)
  6. "Once in a While" (William Butler)
  7. "I'm Not Rough" (Armstrong, Hardin)
  8. "Hotter Than That" (Hardin)
  9. "Savoy Blues" (Ory)

1928 Hot Five recordings

  1. "Fireworks" (Spencer Williams)
  2. "Skip the Gutter" (S. Williams)
  3. "A Monday Date" (Earl Hines)
  4. "Don't Jive Me" (Hardin)
  5. "West End Blues" (King Oliver, C. Williams)
  6. "Sugar Foot Strut" (Pierce)
  7. "Two Deuces" (Hardin)
  8. "Squeeze Me" (Waller, C. Williams)
  9. "Knee Drops" (Hardin)

Recording dates

TitleArtistComposerRecord LabelIssued NumberMaster NumberRecording DateRecording LocationPersonnel
1925–1926 Hot Five recordings
1"Gambler's Dream"Hociel Thomas Acc. by Louis Armstrong's Jazz FourHociel ThomasOKeh82899471-A11/11/1925Chicago[a]
2"Sunshine Baby"Hociel Thomas83269472-A
3"Adam And Eve Had The Blues"Hociel Thomas82589473-A
4"Put It Where I Can Get It"Hociel Thomas82589474-A
5"Wash Woman Blues"Hociel Thomas, Bollinger82899475-A
6"I've Stopped My Man"Hociel Thomas83269476-A
7"My Heart" Louis Armstrong and His Hot FiveLil ArmstrongOKeh83209484-A11/12/1925Chicago[b]
8"Yes! I'm In The Barrel"Louis Armstrong82619485-A
9"Gut Bucket Blues"Louis Armstrong82619486-A
10"Come Back, Sweet Papa"Paul Barbarin, Luis RussellOKeh83189503-A2/22/1926Chicago
11"Georgia Grind"Spencer WilliamsOKeh83189533-A2/26/1926Chicago
12"Heebie Jeebies"B. Atkins83009534-A
13"Cornet Chop Suey"Louis Armstrong83209535-A
N/A"Cornet Chop Suey" (in E)Louis Armstrong83209535-A
14"Oriental Strut"Johnny St. Cyr82999536-A
15"You're Next"Louis Armstrong82999537-A
16"Muskrat Ramble"Edward "Kid" Ory83009538-A
17"Don't Forget To Mess Around"Paul BarbarinOKeh83439729-A6/16/1926Chicago
18"I'm Gonna Gitcha" Lil Hardin83439730-A
19"Droppin' Shucks" Lil Hardin83579731-A
20"Who'sit" Richard M. Jones83579732-A
21"He Likes It Slow" Butterbeans and SusieJ. EdwardsOkeh83559750-A6/18/1926Chicago[c]
22"The King of the Zulus" Louis Armstrong and His Hot FiveLil ArmstrongOKeh83969776-A6/23/1926Chicago[d]
23"Big Fat Ma and Skinny Pa" Richard M. Jones83799777-A
24"Lonesome Blues" Lil Hardin83969778-A
25"Sweet Little Papa" Edward "Kid" Ory83799779-A
26"Jazz Lips" Lil HardinOKeh84369890-A11/16/1926Chicago[e]
27"Skid-Dat-De-Dat" Lil Hardin84369891-A
28"Big Butter and Egg Man" Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable84239892-A[f]
29"Sunset Cafe Stomp" Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable84239893-A
30"You Made Me Love You" Louis Armstrong, Percy VenableOKeh84479980-A11/27/1926Chicago[g]
31"Irish Black Bottom"Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable84479981-A
N/A"Leave Mine Alone"Louis Armstrong, Percy VenableRejected9982-A
1927 Hot Seven recordings
32"Willie the Weeper"Louis Armstrong and His Hot SevenMarty Bloom, Walter MelroseOKeh8482W.80847-C5/7/1927Chicago[h]
33"Wild Man Blues"Louis Armstrong, Fred "Jelly Roll" Morton8474W.80848-C
34"Chicago Breakdown"Louis Armstrong and His StompersFred "Jelly Roll" MortonColumbia36376W.80851-C5/9/1927Chicago[i]
35"Alligator Crawl"Louis Armstrong and His Hot SevenAndy Razaf, Thomas WallerOKeh8482W.80854-B5/10/1927Chicago[j]
36"Potato Head Blues"Louis Armstrong8503W.80855-C
37"Melancholy Blues"Marty Bloom, Walter MelroseOKeh8496W.80862-A5/11/1927Chicago
38"Weary Blues"Artie Matthews8519W.80863-A
39"Twelfth Street Rag"Euday BowmanColumbia35663W.80864-A
40"Keyhole Blues"Wesley WilsonOKeh8496W.80876-A5/13/1927Chicago
41"S.O.L. Blues"Louis ArmstrongColumbia35661W.81126-B
42"Gully Low Blues"Louis ArmstrongOKeh8474W.80877-D5/14/1927Chicago
43"That's When I'll Come Back to You"F. Biggs8519W.80884-B
1927 Hot Five recordings
44"Put 'Em Down Blues"Louis Armstrong and His Hot FiveLouis ArmstrongOKeh8503W.81302-B9/2/1927Chicago[k]
45"Ory's Creole Trombone"Edward "Kid" OryColumbia35838W.81310-D
46"The Last Time"Ewing, MartinColumbia35838W.81317-A9/6/1927Chicago
47"Struttin' With Some Barbecue"Louis ArmstrongOKeh8566W.82037-B12/9/1927Chicago
48"Got No Blues"Lil Hardin8551W.82038-B
49"Once in a While"William ButlerOKeh8566W.82039-B12/10/1927Chicago
50"I'm Not Rough"Louis Lil Hardin Armstrong8551W.82040-B
51"Hotter Than That"Lil HardinOKeh8535W.82055-B12/13/1927Chicago[l]
52"Savoy Blues"Edward "Kid" Ory8535W.82056-A
1928 Hot Five recordings
53"You're A Real Sweetheart"Lillie Delk Christian with Louis Armstrong and His Hot FourCaesar, FriendOKeh8607400954-B6/26/1928Chicago[m]
54"Too Busy"Coslow, Spier8596400956-A
55"Was It A Dream"Miller, Cohn8596400955-B
56"Last Night I Dreamed You Kissed Me"Kahn, Lombardo8607400957-A
57"Fireworks"Louis Armstrong and His Hot FiveSpencer WilliamsOKeh8597W.400960-B6/27/1928Chicago[n]
58"Skip the Gutter"S Williams8631W.400961-A
59"A Monday Date"Earl Hines8609W.400962-B
60"Don't Jive Me"HardinColumbia36376W.400966-C6/28/1928Chicago
61"West End Blues"King Oliver, C WilliamsOKeh8597W.400967-B
62"Sugar Foot Strut"Pierce8609W.400968-B
63"Two Deuces"Lil HardinOKeh8641W.400973-B6/29/1928Chicago
64"Squeeze Me"Waller, C Williams8641W.400974-B
65"Knee Drops"Lil HardinOKeh8631W.400991-B7/5/1928Chicago
66"No, Papa, No"Louis Armstrong and His OrchestraSpivey, VictoriaOKeh8690W.402513-A12/4/1928Chicago
67"Basin Street Blues"Spencer Williams8690W.402514-A
68"No One Else But You"Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom FiveDon RedmanOKeh8669W.402168-B12/5/1928Chicago[o]
69"Save It, Pretty Mama"Don Redman, J. Davis, P. Dennicker8657W.402170-C
70"Beau Koo Jack"Hill, Armstrong, Milrose8680W.402169-C
71"Weather Bird"Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongOKeh41454W.402199-A12/5/1928Chicago[p]
72"Muggles"Louis Armstrong and His OrchestraLouis ArmstrongOKeh8703W.402200-B12/7/1928Chicago[q]
73"Hear Me Talkin' To Ya"Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom FiveLouis ArmstrongOKeh8649W.402224-A12/12/1928Chicago[r]
74"St. James Infirmary"J. Primrose8657W.402225-A
75"Tight Like This"Curl8649W.402226-C
N/A"I'm Gonna Stomp, Mr. Henry Lee"Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra?OKehRejectedW.401688-A3/5/1929New York[s]
N/A"I'm Gonna Stomp, Mr. Henry Lee"?RejectedW.401688-B
76"Knockin' A Jug"Louis Armstrong, Eddie Condon8703W.401689-B
77"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (common take)Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom FiveDorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh8669W.401690-C[t]
78"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (alternate take)Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh8669W.401690-C
79"Mahogany Hall Stomp"Williams, Spencer8680W.401691-B

Personnel

1925–1926 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 1–6

Tracks 7–20

Track 21

Tracks 22–25

Tracks 26–27

Tracks 28–29

Tracks 30–31

1927 Hot Seven recordings

Tracks 32–33

Track 34

Tracks 35–43

1927 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 44–50

Tracks 51–52

1928 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 53–56

Tracks 57–67

Tracks 68–70

Track 71

Track 72

Tracks 73–75

Track 76

Tracks 77–79

See also

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