DESCRIPTION:
By late 1967, Louis Armstrong's time was running out. He'd been hospitalized, old friends had been dying, and many of his signature pieces were getting tougher to play. By early 1968 some of them--including St. James Infirmary--were no longer in his performance repertoire. But in November 1967, in a Miami performance, Pops digs down and delivers this memorable and moving performance. And the band is right there with him, talking trash and making noise and having a blast.

I'm indebted to Ricky Riccardi, an Armstrong scholar, author and blogger for this track. You can find his blog at http://bit.ly/1Izg9B6, where you can read more details, and his commentary, on the performance.

I love this recording, and hope you dig it--an American original in every sense.

Visit my Americana blog at www.nelsonwright.com/americana.