Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev'rybody

Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century—who picked up his trumpet and virtually invented the concept of jazz soloing—blows nary a note during this 90-minute program, which records a tribute-celebration concert performance at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival in honor of his 70th birthday. Many other trumpeters play, however, including old-timers from Satchmo's New Orleans days (Wild Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett, Ray Nance), members of the generation that followed (like Dizzy Gillespie, who rightly observes that “if it weren't for him, there wouldn't be any of us”), and young lion Jimmy Owens, who offers a beautiful, dirge-like “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen.” The great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson also makes an appearance. The guest of honor, however, is on hand for just five numbers during the concert itself and the rehearsal that precedes it, and while it's always good to hear him sing his renditions of chestnuts such as “When It's Sleepy Time Down South” and “Blueberry Hill,” it would have been better to hear some of the playing that made him so famous (as in Louis Armstrong: Live in '59, reviewed in VL-3/07). Still, it's cool to hear Satch sing a couple of lines from the Beatles' “Let It Be” during the interview segments, one of the highlights of the program. Presented in Dolby Digital mono, DVD extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (S. Graham)