9th Ward Daily Photo via rl reeves jr

Put Louis Armstrong’s St Louis Blues on the Hi Fi this morning. Louis took Panamanian pianist Luis Russell’s Orchestra into the studio in NYC on this day back in 1929 to record the track.

It’s jaw-dropping. Armstrong would record the song many times but this specific version is easily the best one.

Oh, and that’s Paul Barbarin on drums. Jazzbos claim that he’s the best drummer to ever draw a breath in New Orleans. I feature him here.