Louis Armstrong—”West End Blues” (1928)

During the 1920s, Louis Armstrong recorded several jazz masterpieces which left many musicians speechless. His superb trumpet playing and delivering of beautiful phrases is evident in fellow Louisianan Jo ‘King’ Oliver’s composition “West End Blues.”

Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, for Okeh in Chicago, on June 28, 1928: Louis Armstrong-trumpet and vocal; Fred Robinson-trombone; Jimmy Strong-tenor saxophone and clarinet; Earl Hines-piano; Mancy Cara-banjo; and Zutty Singleton-cymbals. Due to the recording technique, Zutty could not use his snare or bass drums and used only cymbals. His full set of drums wasn’t used during a recording session until December of that year.

Oliver wrote this 12-bar blues in commemoration of a popular music venue in the early days of jazz. Originally build between 1835 and 1876, and named New Lake End, the name was changed to West End with the addition of a hotel, restaurant and amusement park built on piers over Lake Pontchartrain.