The Night Before Christmas

As promised, today is the day before Christmas, so what better way to celebrate than by listening to Louis Armstrong's reading of "The Night Before Christmas." This was Armstrong's final record, made February 26, 1971 in his home in Corona, just a few days before his last extended engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria, an engagement that pretty much sealed the fate of the frail trumpeter. He passed away on July 6, 1971.

But enough sadness! Louis Armstrong was the personification of joy and the man was terrific around children, two attributes that come to the forefront of this reading. When Brunswick originally issued it, they added some silly sound effects and background music. To hear that version, click here:



Fortunately, they also released it sans music so if you want to hear just the pure voice of Louis Armstrong reading a classic Christmas tale, enjoy this YouTube video and have a wonderful holiday!

Comments

Kestrel said…
Thank you. This is so wonderfully awesome.

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