and now the Peroration
Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra
“When it’s Sleepy Time Down South” (C. Muse, L. René, O. René)
Armstrong made this his signature song recording it over one hundred times in his long career and performing it live countless times. No clearer example exists of why people called him an Uncle Tom. The “folks down there living a life of ease” sure as shit were not Black people. This sounds like the soundtrack to a debutante luncheon. Louis certainly had affection for aspects of Southern culture particularly the music and food. But factually he lived his adult life in Chicago and New York and avoided the South for years at a time because of the horrible difficulties and lack of opportunity for Black people. Yet he made this Lost Cause adjacent, maudlin, sepia toned, nostalgic pean to a romantic fantasy central to his persona and career. Deeply craven or a depth of cynicism on par with Clarence Thomas? Sell out or psychological mastermind? And this recording? Pure musical genius. The age of the crooner is close at hand. But will any surpass this?
The song starts with a skit, Louis meets Charlie Alexander, his piano player, up North like Louis, and they talk about going back South to get some red beans and rice and sweet potato pie.
“Pale moon shining on the fields below/ Folks are crooning songs soft and low/ Needn’t tell me so because I know/ It’s sleepy time down south, mmmm
Soft winds blowing through the pinewood trees/ Folks down there live a life of ease/ When old mammy falls upon her knees/ It’s sleepy time down south
Ohhh, Steamboats on the river a coming or a going/ Splashing the night away/ You hear those banjos ringing, the darkies (yikes!) singing/ They dance til the break of day
Dear old southland with his dreamy songs/ Takes me back to the gal I charmed/ How I'd love to hold her in my arms/ When it's sleepy time way down south
And now the peroration. Fully mature as trumpet virtuoso, vocal stylist, composer, bandleader, sound architect and what will soon be called Pop Star, Louis no longer makes historic breakthroughs. He does though make classic recordings for the ages, perfected pop songs, seemingly with ease.
“Blue Again” (J. McHugh, D. Fields)
Using a current hit song as a basis, Louis reworks the seminal “West End Blues” adding vocals and pop stylings in a showcase of the amazing growth of his vocal artistry.
“Blue again, blue again/ And you darn well it's you again/ You said last night we were through again/ And now I'm blue again/ I’m alone again, alone again/ I’m out around on my own again/ There’s a mocking bird that's flown again/ And I'm alone again/ Now baby, though I said I hate you/ I love you more everyday, babe/ Though I aggravate you/ All that I'm dyin' to say that it's new again/ You again and we'll meet today/ At half past two again/ And tonight we'll fight again/ And I'll be blue again”
“When Your Lover Has Gone” (E. A. Swan)
Conveys cinematic drama and atmosphere. Maybe because it was composed for the soundtrack of the James Cagney film Blond Crazy.
“When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies/ When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies/ At break of dawn, there is no sunrise/ When your lover has gone
What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring/ What lonely hours, with memories lingering/ Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything/ When your lover has gone
What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring/ What lonely hours, with memories lingering/ Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything/ When your lover has gone?
“Lazy River” (H. Carmichael)
A Hoagy Carmichael composition written for Louis, practically eponymous, this is pure Louis. “Yeah, un huh, sure, yeah, way down way down…..Up a lazy river by the old mill stream/ That lazy, hazy river where we both can dream/ Linger in the shade of an old oak tree/ Throw away your troubles, dream a dream with me/
Up a lazy river where the Robin's song/ Wakes up in the mornin', as we roll along/ Blue skies up above everyone's in love/ Up a lazy river, how happy we will be, now/ Up a lazy river with me uuh, labba ribba, yea, yah, de de ho dee…oh you dog boy am I riffin this evenin’ oh you river oh you dog…look at there Charlie Alexander swing out there on dim ivories boy…..”
“Stardust” (H. Carmichael)
Hoagy Carmichael wrote this masterpiece in 1925 with Mitchell Parish adding lyrics in ’28.. Carmichael and Armstrong shared a connection through their mutual friend Bix Biederbecke. Both the Ellington and Armstrong bands added the song to their repertoires in 1929 helping to make it an instant classic. A foundational part of the Great American Songbook, this landmark marriage of Black and White musical sensibilities later recorded by Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, John Coltrane, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and over 1500 others so far, marks not so much the qualitative high point for Armstrong but victory. He won the culture. American popular music follows his path. While Louis took liberties with both the music and lyrics he captures the dreamy, ephemeral, misty essence.
“Sometimes I wonder/ Why, I spend Such lonely nights/ Dreaming of a song/ That melody haunts my reverie/ And I am once again with you/ When our love was new/ And each kiss, an inspiration/ Oooh but that was long ago/ Now my consolation, is in the stardust of a song
Beside a garden wall/ When stars are bright/ You are in my arms/ The nightingale hums his fairy tale/ Of paradise where roses bloom/ Though I dream in vain/ Always In my heart it will remain baby/ My stardust melody/ The memory of love's refrain/ And now the purple dusk of twilight time/ Steals across the dust of my heart- my heart!”
“I’ve Got the World on a String” (H. Arlen, T. Koehler)
I've got the world on a string/ Sittin’ on a rainbow/ Got the string around my finger/ What a world, what a life, I'm in love
I've got a song that I sing/ I can make the rainbow/ Any time I move my finger/ Lucky me, can't you see, I'm in love?
Life's a beautiful thing/ As long as I hold the string/ I’d be a silly so-and-so/ If I should ever let you go
I've got the world on a string/ Sittin’ on a rainbow/ Got the string around my finger/ What a world, what a life, mama, I'm in love
“Basin Street Blues” (S. Williams) A supernal rendition of a song bringing Louis back to his days as a teenager getting his first gigs on Basin Street in Storyville featuring a minute and a half of scatting raised to the level of abstract art. The ineluctable modality of the audible. The vernacular transforming into high art.