Though few listeners think of
Louis Armstrong (or even
Armstrong the jazz vocalist) as a lover man, his rocks-and-gravel voice perfectly expressed the wonder and bemusement of a love affair. The Verve collection
Louis for Lovers compiles songs from three of his best latter-day works (I've Got the World on a String,
Louis Under the Stars, and Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson), all recorded during his year-long stint with the label during late 1956 and 1957. Despite his brief time recording at Verve,
Armstrong spent much of it on the Great American Songbook, revealing the poetic beauty of well-worn standards like "You Go to My Head" and "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)." ~ John Bush