Tim: Ah, Louis Armstrong. A great of Jazz. Disney, a passion that I hold near and dear to my heart. What do these two things have in common? Well just like Disney, Satchmo is quite legendary for his skills as both a singer and a trumpeter. Today, I will be taking a look at the album, Disney Songs The Satchmo Way. Which features Louis Armstrong giving us his take on many a classic Disney song. Now I will not be alone as I have brought along a fried to help me as he knows a wee bit more about Jazz then I do and I've wanted to do a cross over with him for the longest time. Please welcome to A Look at Disney, making his first appearance, Alexthed.
Bout Time
Tim: I must say that I really like this one. Louis seems to be having so much fun with this standard. It is different from the original but it works for that and to be honest, I had to look this one up to figure out what it was from but this one is just cool! I think that is the word, you'll be hearing the most for a lot of these. Louis just knew how to take this song and make it his own.
Alex: This is actually my favorite song from the album. There’s a certain old-fashioned quality to this song – even for the time it was recorded. Its laid back melody – replete with banjo – makes it a very likable song. And it’s catchy enough I found myself humming it days after listening to it.
Tim: This and our next song, I will admit that I approach covers of them with caution as to me they are the two most important songs in the Disney library. I do like this cover even if it does feel lacking when compared to the classic with Uncle Remus singing but again Satchmo made it work for him and it is very entertaining. I would say that this is probably my favorite cover I've heard from Louis thus far as I just think that his style again took thins song and made it something else while still retaining the spirit of the classic.
Alex: Considering this song doesn't have a ton of lyrical content, I always listen to covers of this song with certain curiosity. And Armstrong’s cover doesn't disappoint. The melody lends itself perfectly to Armstrong’s style. If I had one complaint, it’s that the song begins kind of abruptly. I understand that was common in jazz, but I found it kind of jarring. Other than that, I really enjoyed this cover.
When You Wish Upon A Star
Tim: OH MY GOSH! Forget what I said about the previous song, this is gorgeous and hands down the best cover I've ever heard of this song. The raw emotion and passion in Louis' voice makes this song so believable. I feel as though he means the words that he is singing. Forget, best cover. This is the best , nay essential version of this song. It trumps even the classic film version. Yes. Louis sings this better than Jiminy Cricket. Yeah, I said this is better than the original.
Alex: As Doug Walker pointed out,this song is pretty much Disney’s theme song, so any cover has some big shoes to fill, and Satchmo fills them nicely. Even with his gravelly voice, Satchmo gives this song the sentimental and heartfelt treatment it deserves. I like how the backing section actually resembles that of the original film version, which I can’t say about a lot of the covers I've heard of this song
Chim-Chim-Cher-ee
Tim: I'm torn here. I like this one but it just I don't know seems like a step down after you When You Wish Upon A Star. It's not bad, mind you and honestly I think anything would have a hard time topping how much I like When You Wish Upon A Star but this one is good but I think the big problem here is that Dick Van Dyke is so ingrained in my mind with the way he sang it that it's almost hard to accept a cover but this isn't bad. Just not as good as I was hoping.
Alex: It’s hard to put a finger on what exactly it is, but there’s a certain coolness Louie brings to his cover of this song That’s not to say it’s the better cover – For the film, I definitely would have stuck with Van Dyke’s cockney crooning. But I always enjoy a cover that can bring something new to the table, and this version does that while staying true to the original.
Ten Feet Off The Ground
Tim: It's odd, the first time I listened to this song, I thought it was from a park attraction. As it just seems to be the type of song that would fit in the parks but actually it appears to be some obscure film. As for Louis singing behind When You Wish Upon A Star, I must say that this is my favorite track. It is just so much fun to listen to and the trumpet work in this number is pretty cool.
Alex: I’m actually not familiar with song. And my attempts to Google it were surprisingly fruitless. I don’t know if it’s an original that was sneaked onto the album, but either way, I think it’s a really good song.
Whistle While You Work
Tim: Okay, I have to say that this soundtrack keeps on getting better and much more joyous as it goes on. The power that is put into this along with the happiness make me want to get up and dance along to this number. Also I love the end whistle, that was such a nice touch and the perfect capper to this song.
Alex: Louis transforms one of the more old fashioned Disney tunes into something, that for me anyway, conjures up images of New Orleans. I really like the Dixieland sound this song has to it. Maybe I should sing this to myself to improve my attitude at work.
Tim: This song is just so nonsensical and silly that you can't help but enjoy it. Again, Louis packs in quite a punch and the scatting is what I think sold me on this being a superb cover of a classic Disney song.
Alex: Considering this is another song that was pretty short (at least in the movie), it’s fun to hear what Armstrong does with it. Scatting is a long-standing tradition in jazz, it seems only fitting that Louis would be attracted to a song that has so many nonsense phrases in it. Overall, this is a fun interpretation.
The Ballad of Davvy Crockett
Tim: Certainly not a track that I was expecting Louis to cover because it just seems out of left field for him to do this song. Perhaps that's why he chose it. This isn't a bad cover per se but I think I just find it shocking that he chose this one. All the same, it's very good and I really like it. Now if you want to hear a bizarre cover of this song, listen to the Tim Curry version.
Alex: This is one of the Disney songs I've heard the most… namely because it was in Back to the Future ;). This is an interesting pick because the original is so different from Louie Armstrong’s sound. But I still think he did a good job with it. I really like the way Louie gets into the story-telling aspect of this song.
The Bare Necessities
Tim: Once again this is another cover that just makes sense for Louis to do as it is right up his alley. In many ways, this reminds me of the original sung by Phil Harris. Because it sounds so close to the original while still being Satchmo's take on the song. Very enjoyable cover that delivers!
Alex: Ah, my mom’s favorite Disney song !Considering this song has sort of a jazzy tone to it, Armstrong doing a cover for it, is like peanut butter and chocolate. In the movie, “The Bare Necessities was notable for being a very simple song to promote a simple lifestyle – devoid of cares.
Tim: I'd like to thank Alex for joining me for going through this look of Disney covers by Louis Armstrong. All of them were very good and you can still pick up the CD, Disney Songs The Satchmo Way. I highly suggest it.
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