Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions

Photo of Armstrong in 1936

The Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions were recorded between 1925 and 1928 by Louis Armstrong with his Hot Five and Hot Seven groups. According to the National Recording Registry, "Louis Armstrong was jazz's first great soloist and is among American music's most important and influential figures. These sessions, his solos in particular, set a standard musicians still strive to equal in their beauty and innovation." These recordings were added to the National Recording Registry in 2002, the first year of the institution's existence.

Ron Wynn and Bruce Boyd Raeburn, writing for the All Music Guide to Jazz, note that "these recordings radically altered jazz's focus; instead of collective playing, Armstrong's spectacular instrumental (and vocal) improvisations redefined the music." Armstrong helped popularize scat singing in "Heebie Jeebies," and his solo on "Potato Head Blues" helped establish the stop-time technique in jazz.

Recordings

1925–1926 Hot Five recordings

1. "My Heart" (Lil Armstrong)
2. "Yes! I'm in the Barrel"
3. "Gut Bucket Blues"
4. "Come Back Sweet Papa" (Paul Barbarin, Luis Russell)
5. "Georgia Grind" (Spencer Williams)
6. "Heebie Jeebies" (Boyd Atkins)
7. "Cornet Chop Suey"
8. "Oriental Strut" (Johnny St. Cyr)
9. "You're Next"
10. "Muskrat Ramble" (Kid Ory)

    

    "Heebie Jeebies" by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five

11. "Don't Forget to Mess Around" (Armstrong, Barbarin)
12. "I'm Gonna Gitcha" (Lil Hardin)
13. "Droppin' Shucks" (Hardin)
14. "Who' Sit" (Richard M. Jones)
15. "He Likes It Slow" (J. Edwards)
16. "The King of the Zulus" (Lil Armstrong)
17. "Big Fat Ma and Skinny Pa" (Richard M. Jones)
18. "Lonesome Blues" (Hardin)
19. "Sweet Little Papa" (Ory)
20. "Jazz Lips" (Hardin)
21. "Skid-Dat-De-Dat" (Hardin)
22. "Big Butter and Egg Man" (Armstrong, Percy Venable)
23. "Sunset Cafe Stomp" (Armstrong, Venable)
24. "You Made Me Love You" (Armstrong, Venable)
25. "Irish Black Bottom" (Armstrong, Venable)

1927 Hot Seven recordings

1. "Willie the Weeper" (Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose)
2. "Wild Man Blues" (Armstrong, "Jelly Roll" Morton)
3. "Chicago Breakdown" (Morton)
4. "Alligator Crawl" (Joe Davis, Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller)
5. "Potato Head Blues"
6. "Melancholy Blues" (Bloom, Melrose)
7. "Weary Blues" (Artie Matthews)
8. "Twelfth Street Rag" (Euday Bowman)
9. "Keyhole Blues" (Wesley Wilson)
10. "S.O.L. Blues"
11. "Gully Low Blues"
12. "That's When I'll Come Back to You" (Biggs)

1927 Hot Five recordings

1. "Put 'Em Down Blues" (Armstrong)
2. "Ory's Creole Trombone" (Ory)
3. "The Last Time" (Ewing, Martin)
4. "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" (Armstrong)
5. "Got No Blues" (Hardin)
6. "Once in a While" (William Butler)
7. "I'm Not Rough" (Armstrong, Hardin)
8. "Hotter Than That" (Hardin)
9. "Savoy Blues" (Ory)

1928 Hot Five recordings

1. "Fireworks" (Spencer Williams)
2. "Skip the Gutter" (S. Williams)
3. "A Monday Date" (Earl Hines)
4. "Don't Jive Me" (Hardin)
5. "West End Blues" (King Oliver, C. Williams)
6. "Sugar Foot Strut" (Pierce)
7. "Two Deuces" (Hardin)
8. "Squeeze Me" (Waller, C. Williams)
9. "Knee Drops" (Hardin)

Recording dates

	Title	Artist	Composer	Record Label	Issued Number	Master Number	Recording Date	Recording Location	Personnel
1925–1926 Hot Five recordings
1	"Gambler's Dream"	Hociel Thomas Acc. by Louis Armstrong's Jazz Four	Hociel Thomas	OKeh	8289	9471-A	11/11/1925	Chicago	[a]
2	"Sunshine Baby"		Hociel Thomas		8326	9472-A
3	"Adam And Eve Had The Blues"		Hociel Thomas		8258	9473-A
4	"Put It Where I Can Get It"		Hociel Thomas		8258	9474-A
5	"Wash Woman Blues"		Hociel Thomas, Bollinger		8289	9475-A
6	"I've Stopped My Man"		Hociel Thomas		8326	9476-A
7	"My Heart"	Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five	Lil Armstrong	OKeh	8320	9484-A	11/12/1925	Chicago	[b]
8	"Yes! I'm In The Barrel"		Louis Armstrong		8261	9485-A
9	"Gut Bucket Blues"		Louis Armstrong		8261	9486-A
10	"Come Back, Sweet Papa"		Paul Barbarin, Luis Russell	OKeh	8318	9503-A	2/22/1926	Chicago
11	"Georgia Grind"		Spencer Williams	OKeh	8318	9533-A	2/26/1926	Chicago
12	"Heebie Jeebies"		B. Atkins		8300	9534-A
13	"Cornet Chop Suey"		Louis Armstrong		8320	9535-A
N/A	"Cornet Chop Suey" (in E♭)		Louis Armstrong		8320	9535-A
14	"Oriental Strut"		Johnny St. Cyr		8299	9536-A
15	"You're Next"		Louis Armstrong		8299	9537-A
16	"Muskrat Ramble"		Edward "Kid" Ory		8300	9538-A
17	"Don't Forget To Mess Around"		Paul Barbarin	OKeh	8343	9729-A	6/16/1926	Chicago
18	"I'm Gonna Gitcha"		Lil Hardin		8343	9730-A
19	"Droppin' Shucks"		Lil Hardin		8357	9731-A
20	"Who'sit"		Richard M. Jones		8357	9732-A
21	"He Likes It Slow"	Butterbeans and Susie	J. Edwards	Okeh	8355	9750-A	6/18/1926	Chicago	[c]
22	"The King of the Zulus"	Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five	Lil Armstrong	OKeh	8396	9776-A	6/23/1926	Chicago	[d]
23	"Big Fat Ma and Skinny Pa"		Richard M. Jones		8379	9777-A
24	"Lonesome Blues"		Lil Hardin		8396	9778-A
25	"Sweet Little Papa"		Edward "Kid" Ory		8379	9779-A
26	"Jazz Lips"		Lil Hardin	OKeh	8436	9890-A	11/16/1926	Chicago	[e]
27	"Skid-Dat-De-Dat"		Lil Hardin		8436	9891-A
28	"Big Butter and Egg Man"		Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable		8423	9892-A			[f]
29	"Sunset Cafe Stomp"		Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable		8423	9893-A
30	"You Made Me Love You"		Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable	OKeh	8447	9980-A	11/27/1926	Chicago	[g]
31	"Irish Black Bottom"		Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable		8447	9981-A
N/A	"Leave Mine Alone"		Louis Armstrong, Percy Venable		Rejected	9982-A
1927 Hot Seven recordings
32	"Willie the Weeper"	Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven	Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose	OKeh	8482	W.80847-C	5/7/1927	Chicago	[h]
33	"Wild Man Blues"		Louis Armstrong, Fred "Jelly Roll" Morton		8474	W.80848-C
34	"Chicago Breakdown"	Louis Armstrong and His Stompers	Fred "Jelly Roll" Morton	Columbia	36376	W.80851-C	5/9/1927	Chicago	[i]
35	"Alligator Crawl"	Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven	Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller	OKeh	8482	W.80854-B	5/10/1927	Chicago	[j]
36	"Potato Head Blues"		Louis Armstrong		8503	W.80855-C
37	"Melancholy Blues"		Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose	OKeh	8496	W.80862-A	5/11/1927	Chicago
38	"Weary Blues"		Artie Matthews		8519	W.80863-A
39	"Twelfth Street Rag"		Euday Bowman	Columbia	35663	W.80864-A
40	"Keyhole Blues"		Wesley Wilson	OKeh	8496	W.80876-A	5/13/1927	Chicago
41	"S.O.L. Blues"		Louis Armstrong	Columbia	35661	W.81126-B
42	"Gully Low Blues"		Louis Armstrong	OKeh	8474	W.80877-D	5/14/1927	Chicago
43	"That's When I'll Come Back to You"		F. Biggs		8519	W.80884-B
1927 Hot Five recordings
44	"Put 'Em Down Blues"	Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five	Louis Armstrong	OKeh	8503	W.81302-B	9/2/1927	Chicago	[k]
45	"Ory's Creole Trombone"		Edward "Kid" Ory	Columbia	35838	W.81310-D
46	"The Last Time"		Ewing, Martin	Columbia	35838	W.81317-A	9/6/1927	Chicago
47	"Struttin' With Some Barbecue"		Louis Armstrong	OKeh	8566	W.82037-B	12/9/1927	Chicago
48	"Got No Blues"		Lil Hardin		8551	W.82038-B
49	"Once in a While"		William Butler	OKeh	8566	W.82039-B	12/10/1927	Chicago
50	"I'm Not Rough"		Louis Lil Hardin Armstrong		8551	W.82040-B
51	"Hotter Than That"		Lil Hardin	OKeh	8535	W.82055-B	12/13/1927	Chicago	[l]
52	"Savoy Blues"		Edward "Kid" Ory		8535	W.82056-A
1928 Hot Five recordings
53	"You're A Real Sweetheart"	Lillie Delk Christian with Louis Armstrong and His Hot Four	Caesar, Friend	OKeh	8607	400954-B	6/26/1928	Chicago	[m]
54	"Too Busy"		Coslow, Spier		8596	400956-A
55	"Was It A Dream"		Miller, Cohn		8596	400955-B
56	"Last Night I Dreamed You Kissed Me"		Kahn, Lombardo		8607	400957-A
57	"Fireworks"	Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five	Spencer Williams	OKeh	8597	W.400960-B	6/27/1928	Chicago	[n]
58	"Skip the Gutter"		S Williams		8631	W.400961-A
59	"A Monday Date"		Earl Hines		8609	W.400962-B
60	"Don't Jive Me"		Hardin	Columbia	36376	W.400966-C	6/28/1928	Chicago
61	"West End Blues"		King Oliver, C Williams	OKeh	8597	W.400967-B
62	"Sugar Foot Strut"		Pierce		8609	W.400968-B
63	"Two Deuces"		Lil Hardin	OKeh	8641	W.400973-B	6/29/1928	Chicago
64	"Squeeze Me"		Waller, C Williams		8641	W.400974-B
65	"Knee Drops"		Lil Hardin	OKeh	8631	W.400991-B	7/5/1928	Chicago
66	"No, Papa, No"	Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra	Spivey, Victoria	OKeh	8690	W.402513-A	12/4/1928	Chicago
67	"Basin Street Blues"		Spencer Williams		8690	W.402514-A
68	"No One Else But You"	Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five	Don Redman	OKeh	8669	W.402168-B	12/5/1928	Chicago	[o]
69	"Save It, Pretty Mama"		Don Redman, J. Davis, P. Dennicker		8657	W.402170-C
70	"Beau Koo Jack"		Hill, Armstrong, Milrose		8680	W.402169-C
71	"Weather Bird"	Louis Armstrong	Louis Armstrong	OKeh	41454	W.402199-A	12/5/1928	Chicago	[p]
72	"Muggles"	Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra	Louis Armstrong	OKeh	8703	W.402200-B	12/7/1928	Chicago	[q]
73	"Hear Me Talkin' To Ya"	Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five	Louis Armstrong	OKeh	8649	W.402224-A	12/12/1928	Chicago	[r]
74	"St. James Infirmary"		J. Primrose		8657	W.402225-A
75	"Tight Like This"		Curl		8649	W.402226-C
N/A	"I'm Gonna Stomp, Mr. Henry Lee"	Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra	?	OKeh	Rejected	W.401688-A	3/5/1929	New York	[s]
N/A	"I'm Gonna Stomp, Mr. Henry Lee"		?		Rejected	W.401688-B
76	"Knockin' A Jug"		Louis Armstrong, Eddie Condon		8703	W.401689-B
77	"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (common take)	Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five	Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh		8669	W.401690-C			[t]
78	"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (alternate take)		Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh		8669	W.401690-C
79	"Mahogany Hall Stomp"		Williams, Spencer		8680	W.401691-B

Personnel

1925–1926 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 1–6

• Hociel Thomas (voice)

  

  Trombonist Kid Ory in 1944

• Louis Armstrong (cornet)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Hersal Thomas (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

Tracks 7–20

• Louis Armstrong (cornet)
• Kid Ory (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

Track 21

• Joe and Susie Edwards (Butterbeans and Susie) (voice)
• Louis Armstrong (cornet)
• Kid Ory (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

Tracks 22–25

• Clarence Babcock (voice)
• Louis Armstrong (cornet, voice)
• Kid Ory (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

Tracks 26–27

• Louis Armstrong (cornet, voice)
• Kid Ory (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

Tracks 28–29

• May Alix (voice)
• Louis Armstrong (cornet, voice)
• Kid Ory (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

Tracks 30–31

• Louis Armstrong (cornet, voice)
• Henry Clark (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)

1927 Hot Seven recordings

Tracks 32–33

• Louis Armstrong (cornet)

  

  Baby Dodds, Ole South, New York, ca. December 1946

• John Thomas (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo)
• Pete Briggs (tuba)
• Baby Dodds (drums)

Track 34

• Louis Armstrong (cornet)

  

  Earl Hines in 1936

• Bill Wilson (cornet)
• Honoré Dutrey (trombone)
• Boyd Atkins (clarinet, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone)
• Joe Walker (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone)
• Albert Washington (tenor saxophone)
• Earl Hines (piano)
• Rip Bassett (banjo, guitar)
• Pete Briggs (tuba)
• Tubby Hall (drums)

Tracks 35–43

• Louis Armstrong (cornet)
• John Thomas (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo, guitar)
• Pete Briggs (tuba)
• Baby Dodds (drums)

1927 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 44–50

• Louis Armstrong (cornet)
• Kid Ory (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo, guitar)

Tracks 51–52

• Louis Armstrong (cornet, voice)

  

  Lonnie Johnson in Chicago, 1941

• Kid Ory (trombone)
• Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano)
• Johnny St. Cyr (banjo, guitar)
• Lonnie Johnson (guitar)

1928 Hot Five recordings

Tracks 53–56

• Lillie Delk Christian (voice)
• Louis Armstrong (trumpet)
• Jimmy Noone (clarinet)
• Earl Hines (piano)
• Mancy Carr (banjo)

Tracks 57–67

• 

  Zutty Singleton with Adele Girard on harp in 1939; photo: William P. Gottlieb

  Louis Armstrong (trumpet, voice)
• Fred Robinson (trombone)
• Jimmy Strong (clarinet, tenor saxophone)
• Earl Hines (piano)
• Mancy Carr (banjo)
• Zutty Singleton (drums)

Tracks 68–70

• Louis Armstrong (trumpet, voice)
• Fred Robinson (trombone)
• Jimmy Strong (tenor saxophone, clarinet)
• Don Redman (clarinet, alto saxophone)
• Earl Hines (piano)
• Dave Wilborn (banjo, guitar)
• Zutty Singleton (drums)

Track 71

• Louis Armstrong (trumpet)
• Earl Hines (piano)

Track 72

• Louis Armstrong (trumpet)
• Fred Robinson (trombone)
• Jimmy Strong (clarinet)
• Earl Hines (piano)
• Mancy Carr (banjo)
• Zutty Singleton (drums)

Tracks 73–75

• Louis Armstrong (trumpet, voice)
• Fred Robinson (trombone)
• Jimmy Strong (clarinet, tenor saxophone)
• Don Redman (clarinet, alto saxophone)
• Earl Hines (piano)
• Mancy Carr (banjo)
• Zutty Singleton (drums)

Track 76

• 

  Albert Nicholas, Jimmy Ryan's (Club), New York, ca. March 1947

  Louis Armstrong (trumpet)
• Jack Teagarden (trombone)
• Happy Caldwell (tenor saxophone)
• Joe Sullivan (piano)
• Eddie Lang (guitar)
• Kaiser Marshall (drums)

Tracks 77–79

• Louis Armstrong (trumpet, voice)
• J.C. Higginbotham (trombone)
• Albert Nicholas (alto saxophone)
• Charlie Holmes (alto saxophone)
• Teddy Hill (tenor saxophone)
• Luis Russell (piano)
• Eddie Condon (banjo)
• Lonnie Johnson (guitar)
• Pops Foster (bass)
• Paul Barbarin (drums)

See also

• Hot Fives & Sevens, a box set comprising these sessions