Possibly one of the greatest pairings of all time occurred at the time of this recording in 1956 when Louis "Master of Jazz Trumpet and Jazz Singing" Armstrong interpreted the songs of William Christopher "The Father of the Blues" Handy.

Hardy, known for essentially inventing the blues and penning such classics as "Long Gone (From the Bowlin' Green)" and "St. Louis Blues," was flattered to the point of tears when he first heard the finished product. He was quoted as saying that he never thought he'd hear his blues like Louis played them.

And neither did anyone else. Louis, who'd been playing jazz for around thirty years at this point, had become one of the most well-loved jazz musicians in history. And the band he'd assembled for the album were truly impressive. Armstrong shares the spotlight with Velma Middleton, an incredible jazz vocalist whose spirit seems higher than her pitch.

When this disc was first issued on CD in 1986, the producers discovered the originals had been destroyed and replaced with "improved" versions in the early '70s, and that the damage done by the improvements were irreparable so only alternate takes were available on the disc. But after some recent intense searches revealed a near-perfect condition, first edition vinyl copy and some long-lost EPs that could be used to remaster and re-release the original LP version on CD for the first time ever. It also includes some never-before-heard rehearsal sequences and an old interview with W.C. Handy.

Perhaps the best thing about Armstrong's trademark jazz singing is his ability to express what a great time he has doing what he loves. Louis is one of the quintessential jazz musicians of all time for a reason. He did what he did better than anyone else and he loved doing it.

-Ryan Schreiber