20th Century Masters: The Best Of Louis Armstrong (Millennium Collection)

By the time Satchmo hit his latter-day Decca/MCA era, he was an adored American icon, and these are the key hits from his pinnacle of fame.

Louis Armstrong casts a long shadow over all of 20th-century American popular music, thanks in large part to the explosion of talent he displayed in the early part of his career--as an improvisational innovator, bandleader, and vocal stylist. By the time he cut most of the material included on this slight (less than 30-minute) set, he had comfortably settled into his popular persona, mugging and mopping his brow with a handkerchief. That's fine, of course, because Armstrong injects tremendous personality into even the most middle-of-the-road fare, such as "Hello Dolly," "What a Wonderful World," and "Gone Fishin'," a duet with Bing Crosby. Look elsewhere (for example, the budget priced JSP version of the Hot Fives and Sevens or any of Amazon.com's picks for his essential recordings) for the music that made him important. But these are songs that made him beloved. --Daniel Durchholz