The Louis Armstrong House Museum’s Collection has made the newly released “Satchmo At Symphony Hall / 65th Anniversary: The Complete Performances” truly complete. Pulled from the Museum’s Gosta Hagglof Collection never-before released material has created this newly expanded, two-CD version of the album celebrating the 65th anniversary of the original recording.
“Satchmo At Symphony Hall,” recorded in 1947 and first issued on Decca in 1951, captured one of Louis Armstrong’s greatest performances, for which a legendary edition of his All Stars band joined him, with Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, Dick Cary, Arvell Shaw, Big Sid Catlett and singer Velma Middleton. Verve Music and Hip-oSelect.com now present this newly expanded, 2-CD version of the album.
The limited edition release encompasses two hours of material, 30 minutes of which has never been released before. It is also one of the very few surviving, complete two-set Armstrong shows. Featuring such Armstrong classics as “On The Sunny Side Of The Street,” “Black And Blue,” “Mahogany Hall Stomp” and more, the performances have been painstakingly restored from surviving acetates, vaulted reels and the donated holdings of the late Gosta Hagglof, a renowned Armstrong collector and friend, who willed his vast collection to the Louis Armstrong House Museum.
Symphony Hall / 65th Anniversary is housed in a beautiful hard-back package that not only includes the album’s original liner notes by Ernie Anderson but it includes a new and detailed essay by Ricky Riccardi, archivist for the Louis Armstrong House Museum and author of What A Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s Later Years; several rare photographs; and faithful reproductions of the album’s original cover and its many EP and international release permutations.
“It was thrilling watching “Satchmo at Symphony Hall” go from an artifact in our archives to something that can now be enjoyed by Armstrong and music fans around the world, thanks to Universal and Hip-O Select’s enthusiasm over the project. There are hours and hours of unreleased Armstrong performances in our archives and we hope this is a first step in getting more such treasures released,” noted Louis Armstrong House Museum Archivist, Ricky Riccardi.
“Satchmo At Symphony Hall / 65th Anniversary: The Complete Performances” is one of the finest documents of Louis Armstrong’s genius-an unbeatable mix of great music and entertaining showmanship-and is now in complete form for the first time.
“Satchmo At Symphony Hall / 65th Anniversary: The Complete Performances” is available for purchase in the museum gift shop at the Louis Armstrong House Museum for museum visitors.
The Louis Armstrong House Museum is located at 34-56 107th St. in Corona, Queens, New York. The museum is open Tuesday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday from 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m.
Parking is available within the neighborhood; the museum is accessible by subway via the 7 train. In case you need to fly into New York City to pick up your boxed set, the museum is a quick taxi ride from LaGuardia Airport.
Thanks to the vision and funding of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the Louis Armstrong House Museum welcomes visitors from all over the world, six days per week, 52 weeks per year.
