Louis Armstrong's next to last recording (his final one was a few months later singing country songs in front of a Nashville rhythm section) has its touching moments. Backed by a large orchestra,
Armstrong (who was too ill to play trumpet) sings some unlikely material including "The Creator Has a Master Plan" (which also features
Leon Thomas' yodeling), "We Shall Overcome," "Everybody's Talkin'," and "Give Peace a Chance." The high points occur during "Mood Indigo," "Boy from New Orleans" (during which
Louis sums up his life story over the chords of "When the Saints Go Marching In"), and the definitive version of "What a Wonderful World." ~ Scott Yanow