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Hot Fives And Sevens

by

Louis Armstrong

 
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Hot Fives And Sevens

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Avg: 4.5 (92 ratings)

Essential recordings from jazz's most influential figure

  • We Say...

    Review by James Lincoln Collier

    Louis Armstrong was the first great instrumentalist in jazz, more influential than any with the possible exception of Charlie Parker. His great inventiveness; his rich, warm sound; his mastery of his instrument; and his emotional range left other musicians in awe. His example changed jazz from an ensemble music to a vehicle for the improvising soloist, which it remains today.

    The so-called Hot Fives and Sevens series, cut between 1925 and 1928, were the first under his name, and brought him to the attention of the jazz world. They used varied personnel, and were issued under several names. It was a recording group only — the musicians made their livings working in Chicago's nightclubs, dancehalls and theatres. As the series progresses, we can see Armstrong coming more and more to the front: the first cuts were in the New Orleans ensemble style; by the last cuts, the other musicians were merely backing Armstrong's vocals and astonishing trumpet solos. The recordings in this series are essential listening for any serious jazz fan, and lie at the heart of any jazz collection, no matter how small.

    The recordings on Volume One are still in the New Orleans ensemble style. However, the stop-time solo on "Cornet Chop Suey," where the band punctuates occasionally while Armstrong improvises freely, brought the cornetist instant fame in the jazz world. Trumpeters today still learn this solo note-for-note.

    By Volume Two, recorded in 1927, Armstrong was increasingly coming to the fore. The stop-time solo on "Potato Head Blues" was widely copied. "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" became a perennial feature for Armstrong. Most impressive is the pairing of "Hotter than That" and "Savoy Blues," the first boiling hot, the second quietly tender, suggesting the greatness of Armstrong's emotional repertory.

    By the 1928 recordings showcased on Volume Three, this was no longer a New Orleans ensemble. The masterpiece is "West End Blues," one of the finest jazz recordings ever made, and according to some, the greatest of all. It begins with a majestic cadenza which has never been equaled, and develops into a dramatic whole — an exceedingly rare feat in jazz.

    he cuts on volume four do not belong to the Hot Five series. They were made with bigger groups playing from arrangements, in line with the new fashion for hot dance orchestras. Armstrong's management was trying now to turn him into a popular entertainer featuring his singing of hit songs as much as his trumpet work, as "Ain't Misbehavin'" suggests.

  • They Say...

    Review by Stephen Cook, All Music Guide

    With superior transfers by British music engineer John R.T. Davies, this JSP reissue of the first 25 sides by Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Hot Sevens is a first-choice disc for newcomers, while also being a very worthwhile purchase for the discriminating fan. Columbia's more high-profile, yet poorly remastered early Armstrong releases are muddy and limp sounding in comparison. Studio discrepancies aside, these records represent one of highest achievements in jazz and all of music for that matter. Armstrong's brash and advanced trumpet playing transformed jazz from the somewhat stilted ensemble polyphony of New Orleans to the fluid art of the improvising soloist, paving the way for the advances of swing and bebop and sparking the equally bold conceptions of future jazz luminaries Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker. And although these Chicago recordings (1925-1926) do not include later milestones like "West End Blues" and "Weather Bird," there's plenty here in the way of Armstrong's innovations: his stop-time solo on "Cornet Chop Suey" and the early scat singing on "Heebie Jeebies." And beyond textbook considerations, there's Armstrong's infectious spoken commentary and vocals on "Gut Bucket Blues" and "Big Butter and Egg Man From the West," not to mention his joyous trumpet exclamations on "Yes, I'm in the Barrel" and "Muskrat Rumble." Topped off with fine contributions by Hot Five regulars clarinetist Johnny Dodds, trombonist Kid Ory, pianist and wife at the time Lil Armstrong, and banjo player Johnny St. Cyr, this Armstrong release is not to be missed. Essential music for any record collection.

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