by Scott Yanow
This obscure set by Louis Armstrong has its strange appeal. The great trumpeter/vocalist performs a dozen songs, all of which have &heaven& or &angel& in their title or lyrics, while backed by the Sy Oliver Orchestra plus a heavenly female choir. Satch gets off a few good trumpet solos and is quite cheerful throughout, even joking during &The Prisoner's Song& when the word &angel& finally shows up. Among the highlights are &When Did You Leave Heaven,& &I Married An Angel& and &I'll String Along With You.& Although more commercial than Armstrong's usual recordings of the era, this set is more memorable than one would expect and is worth searching for.