Happy Birthday, Louis

Today is the 122nd birthday of a jazz legend – Louis “Satchmo” “Pops” “Satch” Armstrong.

A unique voice and a amazing trumpet player, he is synonymous with jazz. Nothing I could write about him would do any justice to his life and legacy, so I thought I would just share a few of my favorite Louis Armstrong songs with you.

I’ve always loved A Kiss to Build a Dream On, but Louis’ version is my favorite.

Another favorite by Louis was actually one that I played at one of the last weddings I DJ’d. I was surprised that they actually asked for his version. La Vie En Rose.

How could I not mention his Grammy winning performance of Hello, Dolly! This song knocked the Beatles out of the number one spot on the charts (a spot they had held with three consecutive songs for 14 weeks!)

His collaborations with the great Ella Fitzgerald are classics. My favorite is from the show Porgy and Bess – Summertime. Both were great scat singers

Yes, it’s out of season, but I LOVE Louis’ version of Winter Wonderland

How could I not include a song that I believe belongs to Louis? NO ONE, in my humble opinion, could ever do it the same justice as he did. The emotion expressed, the beautiful arrangement, and those amazing lyrics – What A Wonderful World.

Here is a version not many are familiar with. Listen to “Pops” Armstrong’s vocal introduction to the song…