The California Concerts is a three-CD set that features
Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars, giving one a very good idea of the type of performance the great trumpeter/vocalist put on every night. Some dated comedy aside,
Satch is in exciting form, assisted by trombonists
Jack Teagarden and
Trummy Young, clarinetist
Barney Bigard and, for the earlier concert, pianist
Earl Hines. Actually, it is the later session (which takes up most of the last three CDs) that is quite spirited and lively, with
Armstrong enthusiastically leading his
All-Stars through timeworn but fresh Dixieland standards. ~ Scott Yanow