Louis Armstrong, supranumit Satchmo sau Pops, a fost un trompetist și cântăreț american de jazz din New Orleans, Louisiana. Provenit din mediul jazzului din New Orleans, este considerat una dintre cele mai influente figuri ale jazzului din secolul XX, care a transformat genul de la improvizația colectivă la interpretarea solo.
Compilația Pops is Tops: The Complete Verve Studio Albums pe patru CD-uri în ambalaj digipack reunește înregistrările de studio integrale pe care Armstrong le-a realizat pentru casa de discuri Verve. Setul cuprinde atât versiunile finale ale pieselor, cât și variante alternative, repetiții și dialoguri de studio care oferă o perspectivă asupra procesului de înregistrare. Printre piese se numără standarduri precum Stormy Weather, Body And Soul, I Get a Kick Out of You sau Makin' Whoopee, pe care se remarcă stilul unic de trompetă și vocal al lui Armstrong, inclusiv scat-ul său caracteristic.
Melodii
CD1
1 When Your Lover Has Gone
2 You're The Top
3 You Turned The Tables On Me
4 Don't Get Around Much Anymore
5 Little Girl Blue
6 Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
7 We'll Be Together Again
8 I've Got The World On A String
9 Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
10 I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
11 You Turned The Tables On Me - stereo master take
12 Little Girl Blue - stereo master take
13 You Turned The Tables On Me - alternate take (1) w/false start
14 You Turned The Tables On Me - partial alternate take (3)
15 You Turned The Tables On Me - inserts & rehearsal
16 I've Got The World On A String - false start/alternate take (2)
17 I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues - false start/breakdown takes (2 & 3)
18 I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues - alternate take (4)
CD2
1 Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
2 Have You Met Miss Jones
3 I Only Have Eyes For You
4 Stormy Weather
5 Home
6 East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
7 You're Blasé
8 Body And Soul
9 East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon) - stereo master take
10 Body And Soul - stereo master take
11 Stormy Weather - breakdown/alternate take (2)
12 Stormy Weather - alternate take (3)
13 Stormy Weather - breakdown (4)
14 Stormy Weather - breakdown, insert take (5)
CD3
1 That Old Feeling
2 Let's Fall In Love
3 I'll Never Be The Same
4 Blues In The Night
5 How Long Has This Been Going On
6 I Was Doing All Right
7 What's New
8 Moon Song
9 Just One Of Those Things
10 There's No You
11 You Go To My Head
12 Sweet Lorraine
13 Blues in the Night - rehearsal (1)
14 Let's Fall In Love - alternate take (1)
15 Let's Fall In Love - alternate take (2)
16 Indiana - studio warm
CD4
1 Makin' Whoopee - breakdown
2 Makin' Whoopee - alternate take (1)
3 Makin' Whoopee - alternate take (2)
4 Makin' Whoopee - alternate take (3)
5 Makin' Whoopee - master take (4)
6 I Get a Kick Out of You
7 I Get a Kick Out of You - breakdown and studio chatter (3)
8 I Get a Kick Out of You - alternate take (4)
9 I Get a Kick Out of You - alternate take (5)
10 I Get a Kick Out of You - false start (6)
11 I Get a Kick Out of You - false start (7)
12 I Get a Kick Out of You - master take (8)
13 I Get a Kick Out of You - breakdowns and false starts (9
14 I Get A Kick out Of You - alternate take (13)
15 Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) - breakdowns (1 and 2)
16 Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) - alternate take (3)
17 Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) - master take (4)
18 Willow Weep for Me - false start (1)
19 Willow Weep for Me - alternate take (2)
20 Willow Weep for Me - breakdown and false start (3)
21 Willow Weep For Me - alternate take (4)
22 Willow Weep for Me - false start (5)
23 Willow Weep for Me - breakdown (6)
24 Willow Weep For Me - master take (7)
