Basin Street Blues – 1963
Louis Armstrong
A heated but fairly relaxed version of a Louis Armstrong standby
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Louis Armstrong introduced “Basin Street Blues” back in 1928 and it remained a constant in his repertoire for decades.
This version was performed live in Australia with the 1963 version of his All-Stars which included trombonist Trummy Young, clarinetist Joe Darensbourg, pianist Billy Kyle, bassist Arvell Shaw, and drummer Danny Barcelona.
It begins quite slow; at its halfway mark it becomes the music becomes medium-tempo although not quite as fast as some of Armstrong’s versions.
There are some fine solos along the way with Louis Armstrong’s long note going into the final chorus a highlight.
-Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald