The best introduction to Armstrong’s music came out in 2020: Satchmo: The Decca and Verve Years 1924-1967 . It begins with Shanghai Shuffle with the Fletcher Henderson  Band- even though it has not transferred well from its crackly ‘78’ manifestation, it remains essential, a joyous romp with sublime syncopation. Solos follow solos on New Orleans Stomp while Black Bottom Stomp has some fast-paced tooting and may well be the ‘rave’ music of the day- although you’d need more spa

RARE BIRD – BEAUTIFUL SCARLET: THE RECORDINGS (1969-1975) EPIC FOREST (Esoteric Recordings) (CD boxset) (the third album) This is one of my favourite albums, period. While there is no more keyboard dualling (Graham Field has left to form Fields. Mark Ashton has also gone to be replaced by Fred Kelly on drums), there is plenty of guitar interplay to make up for it. It’s hard for me to spot a weakness on Rare Bird’s first of three albums for Polydor and the single, an EP really

‘What You Want to Know’ is a strong opening ballad. The mono single is also included. The replica gatefold sleeve is also much appreciated and, of course, the informative booklet and poster. The four part ‘Flight’ takes up the whole of side and this signals the more progressive approach taken. The keyboard palette has changed with what sounds like a harpsichord on ‘Down on the Floor’. ‘Hammerhead’ could have been a Van Der Graaf Generator song and was released as a mono singl