Mahogany Hall Stomp
78 rpm Odeon A286008a
It’s one of those classic recordings that I need to hear every now and then, on CD, on LP, or like now, on 78 rpm. In Europe Odeon released a lot of Armstrong with something else on the other side in their Swing Series. The pressing sounds very good, and the condition of this copy is great.
In the music there is the good rhythm from the start, a light 12-bar solo from Charlie Holmes, and a chorus with a beautiful guitar sound from Lonnie Johnson, who continues to be heard backing up Armstrong in his three muted choruses. Louis holds a long note, and it’s not the circular breathing involved; he just puts it in seemingly without effort and contrasts it with the following riffs.