The fifth title in the German History label's 15-CD box set Louis Armstrong, Dear Old Southland picks up the complete recordings of Louis Armstrong as a leader during a February 1, 1930, session and follows his recorded output for over 13 months, a period when he fronted big bands led by Luis Russell, Willie Lynch, Leon Elkins, and Les Hite, but called either Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra or Louis Armstrong and His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra for recording purposes. The first eight tracks find Armstrong in New York, while the remaining 12 constitute his complete set of 1930-31 recordings from Los Angeles. He is very much the star here, with each track showcasing his trumpet playing and, often, his vocals, the compositions drawn largely from Tin Pan Alley. Included are the hits "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy (From Dumas)," "If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight," "Memories of You," "The Peanut Vendor," "Sweethearts on Parade," "Body and Soul," and "Shine." What sounds like considerable sound processing has resulted in a hiss- and crackle-free sound that misses the highs as a result. Although this material is in the public domain in Europe, it is claimed by Sony Music in the U.S.; nevertheless, the box set is readily available at a modest price domestically through mail order. Columbia/Legacy's albums St. Louis Blues and You're Driving Me Crazy contain these recordings in better fidelity and with far superior annotations, and so they are recommended over this barebones collection. But this one is also far less expensive.