Twelfth Street Rag - Louis Armstrong

Artist: Louis Armstrong
Song: Twelfth Street Rag
Year: 1927
Album: Various

This song was recorded by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven on May 11, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. After that it gets hazy. This has been released on various compilations, but I can't seem to track down the original Louis Armstrong release. I know that it wasn't released right away and was filed away for some time. I'm just not quite sure as to how long it was shelved by Columbia Records.

This is a playful take of a song from 1915. This song would become famous when Louis Armstrong would tour with his All-Stars in the later years of his life. "Twelfth Street Rag" became a showcase for improvisation for the group.

I can remember this song from many cartoons that I watched growing up. I'm not sure as to which ones, but I certainly remember the tune. I originally picked this song up on a Hot Fives and Hot Sevens compilation. I wasn't even looking for a Louis Armstrong song. I was looking for a Louis Jordan song instead, but I didn't know the artist of the song I was looking for. So, I took a stab in the dark and came up with a compilation that this song was on. I've never regretted being wrong, in this case.

The YouTube video isn't much to look at, but it features the entire song. Sometimes it's not how you show it, it's what you show.

Lyrics:
None (instrumental)