Louis Armstrong: Blueberry Hill

Captured live in Nice, France, in May 1962, this is Arm-strong in top crowd-pleasing form with a predictably safe repertoire that covers such expected bases as “Mack the Knife,” “Basin St. Blues” and the title track. It is, though, peppered with some unexpected goodies, including rarely recorded vocalist Jewell Brown fronting “Georgia on My Mind,” “Lover Come Back to Me” and “St. Louis Blues,” plus trombonist Trummy Young lending vocal support to a short, sweet “Margie.”

Sadly, the sound quality is uneven throughout, and it’s downright disastrous on “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue” and “After You’ve Gone.”

Originally Published September 1, 2005