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fall. Roland Martin was a blind fiddle player and he inspired Howard to learn the instrument. In 1930 they recorded four sides in Knoxville as the
Tennessee Chocolate Drops. Soon Armstrong and Carl Martin teamed up with Ted Bogan and moved to Huntington, WV where the three began a long career together. It was in Huntington that Armstrong got his nickname "Louie
Bluie" and the story is recounted on this album. In 1933 Martin, Bogan & Armstrong moved to Chicago in time to play at the World's Fair. Armstrong played with everybody who was on the scene in Chicago at the time
including Big Bill Broonzy, Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, and Charlie and Joe McCoy. Since then Armstrong has called Detroit home, the base from which he travels throughout the country and the world purveying his exceptional
musical talent. On "Louie Bluie" Armstrong is backed by his son, the bass virtuoso Ralphe Armstrong, (who played for years with John McLaughlin and also Jean-Luc Ponty), and swing guitarist Ray Kamalay. The song
selecon shows the wonderfully wide range of music that Armstrong embraces: Gershwin musical numbers "Lady Be Good" and "Summertime," folk classics like "John Henry," blues standards "St
Louis Blues" and "Sittin' On Top of the World," gay nineties rags, jazz standards "Dinah" and "Chinatown" and even some spirituals. There are a few spoken tracks in which Armstrong recounts
how he got his nickname and what Ted Bogan could do that no other man could, glimpses of a long and varied musical career. "Louie Bluie" is a gem of a recording, a window into the unique musical life of one of this
century's premier string players, the likes of whom won't be heard again.
"A history lesson in 20th Century American music" - Matt Watson, Smithsonian Institution "...a resounding celebration of a true musical genius" - Art Tipaldi, Blues Revue |
