BING & SATCHMO

Bing & Satchmo is a 1960 studio album by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong, arranged and conducted by Billy May. It was recorded for Crosby's own company, Project Records, and released through MGM. Crosby and Satchmo had worked together many times before they recorded this album, appearing in films such as Pennies from Heaven (1936), Here Comes the Groom (1951) and High Society (1956) together, and making several radio broadcasts between 1949 and 1951. The lyrics of the tunes on Bing & Satchmo were specially adapted for them by a number of notable songwriters.

Only eleven tracks were issued on the original vinyl LP with "(Up A) Lazy River" being held back as it had been previously recorded by Louis Armstrong for another company. Special permission was, however, granted for it to be included in the "All Star Festival" LP issued in 1963 on behalf of the United Nations in aid of the world's refugees. Johnny Mercer sings a few lines with the chorus on this track.

The tracks "Dardanella" and "Muskrat Ramble" from Bing & Satchmo were both released as singles in October 1960. Billboard magazine commented that the tracks would be popular with "jocks".

The entire album, including "(Up A) Lazy River", was issued on CD in 2009 by DRG Records

The initial Billboard review from 31 October 1960 selected the album for its pop spotlight, and described the album as a "group of nostalgic tunes that provide excellent easy listening programming".

Variety said: “Teamup of Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong provides a lot of listening pleasure. Both are masters of their craft and know how to pack a vocal punch with seemingly little effort.

SIDE ONE
"Muskrat Ramble" (Kid Ory, Ray Gilbert) - 3:03
"Sugar (That Sugar Baby O' Mine)" (Maceo Pinkard, Edna Alexander, Sidney D. Mitchell) - 5:13
"The Preacher" (Horace Silver) - 2:21
"Dardanella" (Fred Fisher, Felix Bernard, Johnny S. Black) - 2:50
"Let's Sing Like a Dixieland Band" (Alan Bergman) - 2:21

SIDE TWO
"Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" (Joe Turner Layton, Henry Creamer) - 3:09
"Brother Bill" (Silver) - 3:01
"Little Ol' Tune" (Johnny Mercer) - 3:07
"At the Jazz Band Ball" (Nick LaRocca, Larry Shields, Johnny Mercer) - 3:02
"Rocky Mountain Moon" (Mercer) - 3:42
"Bye Bye Blues" (Fred Hamm, Dave Bennett, Bert Lown, and Chauncey Gray) - 3:48

BONUS TRACK
"(Up A) Lazy River" (Hoagy Carmichael, Sidney Arodin) - 3:14

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