Louis In London: Live at the BBC is a commemorative album from a concert recorded on July 2, 1968, by Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars for British radio. It was first aired by the BBC on Sept. 22, 1968.
Armstrong died in 1971 and was already taking a sad turn when this broadcast took place. This has often been called his last great performance because his health deteriorated significantly shortly thereafter, and his ability to tour was severely limited.
When the great trumpeter and singer received a tape recording of his London performance, Armstrong marked it “for the fans” because he was so proud of it. He also made copies on his recently installed high-end Tandberg tape system for each member of the All-Stars.
In 1970, nine of the 13 tracks from Louis In London were released on LP as Louis Armstrong’s Greatest Hits Recorded Live on Brunswick Records in both America and in the UK. The new release was digitally transferred from the original BBC telecast recording and not from Armstrong’s old reel-to-reel tapes, which means the sound on this monophonic performance is impeccable. You’ll believe it was recorded yesterday.
The BBC performance opens with Armstrong’s theme song, “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South.” There are two instrumentals featuring the All-Stars, “Indiana” and “Ole Miss” interspersed with “A Kiss to Build a Dream On,” “Blueberry Hill,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the musical Carousel, “Mack the Knife,” “Mame,” an outstanding version of “Hello Dolly” and his huge 1968 British No. 1 hit that was then still an obscurity in America, “What a Wonderful World.”
The set also included “Rockin’ Chair” and Disney’s “The Bare Necessities.” They closed the evening with another Armstrong standard, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
This late version of the All-Stars included Tyree Glenn on trombone and vocals, Joe Muranyi on clarinet, and Marty Napolean on piano. The group was rounded out by bassist Buddy Catlett and drummer Danny Barcelona.
In the years immediately leading up to the London gig, Louis Armstrong suffered from dental problems and subsequent surgery may have accounted for a greater focus of Armstrong’s unique singing. This emphasis on vocals makes both the TV program and the Louis In London album feel more like an act of showmanship than a jazz concert.
Even so, his trumpet playing still sounded fantastic in a supporting role – and the quality of Armstrong’s singing and the band’s musicianship make Louis In London: Live at the BBC a can’t-miss experience from someone who probably did more than anyone else in history to popularize both the trumpet and jazz music.
