Louis Armstrong – Up a Lazy River
As one of my coworkers described, “This song sums up all you need to know about jazz.” I couldn’t agree more. It has that slow dirge feel, a double time feel, solo improvisation, scatting, blues, and its Louis Armstrong for goodness sake.
This is one of my favorite Louis Armstrong recordings, taken from his live performance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. I love it because it epitomizes the saying “less is more” and Louis Armstrong often embodies this idea. He recognizes that one doesn’t always need to play a whole bunch of notes but just a few to say what needs to be said. It’s like eating French fries; sure you can put on some melted cheese, chives, bacon bits, gravy and vinegar, but shit, just sprinkle on some salt and that’s all you need. Don’t get my wrong, I love bacon bits and melted cheese, but if the fries are good enough….
Jake
sirjakus@gmail.com
1 year ago