Sullivan's Travails

We're going to head back to The Ed Sullivan Show for another rare and classic performance.  To be clear, not all the performers in this menagerie are especially rare, but it's still a treat to see them in this context.  And we'll start with one of my favorites, Louis Armstrong.  He sings "Blueberry Hill" here, and I have a particular affection for this song.  He'd recorded it years earlier in 1949 (seven years before Fats Domino had his huge hit with it), but re-recorded the song for his famous Hello, Dolly! album.  I'd never heard his version before, but it came on the radio in the late afternoon one summer day when I was a kid.  And this stood out for me because I had tickets that night to go to the Ravinia Music Festival with my older brother and see Satchmo live in concert, at the height of the title song's massive popularity.  Where he sang "Blueberry Hill" -- and of course "Hello, Dolly!," for which he did six ​encores -- and lots more, and it was all a joy.

The album was released in 1964, so this appearance came before he had re-recorded the song.  So, clearly it held a place of affection for him, as well...