Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule

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Much like Santa Claus himself, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong devoted his life to “the cause of happiness,” as he once put it, bringing joy to audiences around the globe every time he put his trumpet to his lips or crooned with his instantly-recognizable, gravelly voice. Yet, while Satchmo’s holiday recordings have become standard yuletide fare, he never released a Christmas album during his lifetime. Now, for the very first time, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule – out October 28 via Verve Records/UMe, presents Armstrong’s holiday recordings as a cohesive body of work, marking his first-ever official Christmas album. Louis refused to let Lucille take it down and insisted they take it with them on the rest of the tour. The Armstrongs would continue this tradition, Lucille later remarking that they continued setting up ‘a table tree and holiday fixings in whatever hotel in whatever country we happen to be in.’” Riccardi writes that Armstrong “did not have much time for Christmas…life necessitated that he drop out of school and go to work while still a young boy to help support his mother and sister.” But following his marriage to Lucille Wilson, the holidays took on new meaning, especially when the couple were on the road. “With the holidays approaching, Lucille bought a small Christmas tree and set it up in their hotel room,” writes Riccardi. “According to Lucille, Louis ‘just looked at it and looked at it and told me, ‘This is the first tree I’ve ever had.’ As a child, Riccardi writes, Armstrong “did not have much time for Christmas… life necessitated that he drop out of school and go to work while still a young boy to help support his mother and sister.” After his marriage to Lucille Wilson, however, the holidays took on a new meaning—particularly when the couple was on the road. Riccardi continues, “With the holidays approaching, Lucille bought a small Christmas tree and set it up in their hotel room. According to Lucille, Louis ‘just looked at it and looked at it and told me, ‘This is the first tree I’ve ever had.’ Louis refused to let Lucille take it down and insisted they take it with them on the rest of the tour. The Armstrongs would continue this tradition, Lucille later remarking that they continued setting up ‘a table tree and holiday fixings in whatever hotel in whatever country we happen to be in.’” Much like Santa Claus himself, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong devoted his life to “the cause of happiness,” as he once put it, bringing joy to audiences around the globe every time he put his trumpet to his lips or crooned with his instantly recognisable, gravelly voice. Yet, while Satchmo’s holiday recordings have become standard yuletide fare, he never released a Christmas album during his lifetime. Now, for the very first time, Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule – out October 28 via Verve Records/UMe, presents Armstrong’s holiday recordings as a cohesive body of work, marking his first-ever official Christmas album.

Armstrong read it twice on one of his reel-to-reel tapes [...]. For this release, one of Armstrong's unedited readings is being issued for the first time. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge.