Ill today. Looked after the Boy this morning, until putting him to bed for his afternoon sleep — and then slept four hours longer than him myself. So forgive me if this is terse (I mean, you can't say that's a common failing of mine).
Speaking of binge buying, this was one of 27 albums I got in 34 days at the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005. So forgive me if I confess to a little indigestion regarding those albums. I think that final binge was the sign that something had to change, and it's never been repeated (well, I say it's never been repeated, but one of things about downloads is that binge behaviour leaves fewer visible traces).
In the great battle between Good comps (the labours of love) and Bad ones (the cash-ins), this one is definitely on the good guys's side. It's from a German company and doesn't appear been widely distributed — I got it for a bargain price at Fopp — but one tell-tale sign of the integrity of the compilers is that every writer and every performer is credited. There's also a 20-page booklet with a biographical profile (unread!).
When I start listening, the first thing I have to do is get over the expectation that Ken Clarke is going to butt in at some point (better that the phantom DJ were Russell Davies), but once I'm past that, there's much to love. To state the obvious. I just have to find my way into it, starting with songs like St James Infirmary and some of those trumpet solos.
Not all that terse, huh?
Record label entry for this album
Wikipedia entry for Louis Armstrong albums
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