THREAD: 65 years ago today, Louis Armstrong and the All Stars played the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Columbia Records recorded it, releasing part of it on “Ambassador Satch.” We have LOTS of photos onstage and backstage—and we’re going to share them right here! The first 4:

The great Velma Middleton!

Louis and Velma—an unbeatable team!

Barrett Deems, “The World’s Fastest Drummer.”

Pianist Billy Kyle

Longtime bassist Arvell Shaw

Shaw in the spotlight

Clarinetist Edmond Hall

Trombonist Trummy Young

The All Stars in action

Pops digging it!

Louis taking a break while featuring one of the All Stars (possibly Edmond Hall on “Dardanella,” heard on “Ambassador Satch”)

The most powerful frontline Armstrong ever featured!

Okay, who is ready to go backstage? Here is Louis arriving to the venue by bus as a crowd awaits.

Oh man, caption contest?

What fueled the All Stars? Apparently coffee and Coca Cola! First in a series....

Velma swigs some coffee

Barrett Deems and Billy Kyle fueling up (Louis once famous said of Deems, “He makes coffee nervous!”)

Trummy caffeinates!

Louis, too, of course, with a pre-show cuppa

Okay, Pops, time to warm up the chops

Louis applying his lip salve from Mannheim, Germany.

Warm up time

Just about there

Satisfied!

Okay, if you’re still with us, let’s LISTEN! Here’s “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” from the concert:

A little “(Back Home Again in) Indiana”:

“Back O’Town Blues,” released for the first time in 2014!

Trummy’s feature on “Undecided”:

Edmond Hall’s feature on “Dardanella”:

A little “Tin Roof Blues”:

And to really capture the raw, swinging, power of this band in full flight, “Muskrat Ramble”!

That’s all for now but if you love good music, find this LP and thank us later!