Music Master Louis Armstrong’s ‘Last Great’ Performance, Circa 1968 Via BBC Concert, Set For July 12 Entitled "Louis in London."

Music Master Louis Armstrong’s ‘Last Great’  Performance, Circa 1968 Via BBC Concert, Set For July 12  Entitled "Louis in London." 

"Louis Armstrong’s 1968 BBC session in London — which the legendary trumpeter and singer felt was his “last great” performance — will finally be released this summer.

Louis in London, out July 12 via Verve Records and available to preorder now, captures Armstrong and his All-Stars band on July 2, 1968, where the group played over a dozen Armstrong favorites at the BBC for a concert special that aired later that year.

Ahead of the LP’s release, listen to the evening’s unearthed rendition of his Song of the Year Grammy-winning “Hello, Dolly!”:

The concert was recorded as Armstrong was reaching both a high and low point: His “What a Wonderful World” was on the precipice of becoming the Number One single in the U.K., but health issues in 1968 would soon force Armstrong off the road for the entirety of the next year. “Satchmo” briefly returned to touring in 1970 before a heart attack abruptly ended the jaunt, and Armstrong died in July 1971.

The Louis in London track list spans the trumpeter’s entire career, from one of the earliest songs he performed, “Ole Miss,” to his takes on “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “The Bare Necessities,” and “Mack the Knife.” His classic “What a Wonderful World” was performed as the penultimate track.

Toward the end of his life, Armstrong would send friends copies of his BBC performance, declaring it amongst his favorites. “Knowing how badly he wanted his friends and fans to hear this music while he was still alive, it’s a great source of pride to know that it will now be enjoyed by new generations, including many fans who weren’t even alive at the time Armstrong passed, but who are still inspired by his music and his joy,” Ricky Riccardi writes in Louis in London liner notes. 

“Armstrong once claimed he was here ‘in the cause of happiness.’ All these decades later, albums like Louis in London continue his life’s mission at a time when we still need to be reminded that maybe it still is a wonderful world and maybe we’ll never walk alone after all.”

Louis in London Track List

When It’s Sleepy Time Down South(Back Home Again) In IndianaA Kiss To Build a Dream OnHello, Dolly!MameYou’ll Never Walk AloneOle MissBlueberry HillMack The KnifeRockin’ ChairThe Bare NecessitiesWhat a Wonderful WorldWhen The Saints Go Marching In." - Rollingstone.com