Biography
Under a transient group name applied solely to this date, the players assembled were in essence Louis Armstrong's Hot Five. On May 28, 1926, in Chicago, Louis temporarily handed the nominal leadership role to his wife. The lineup combined his cornet with her piano, Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. Vocalion 1037 carried the results of the session, which later surfaced on Oriole, Brunswick, Odeon, and Decca as well. One side showcased Louis Armstrong's own buoyant instrumental "Drop That Sack," while the reverse held "Georgia Bo-Bo," the vigorous stomp composed by Fats Waller and Jo Trent. Delivering Trent's words in his characteristically rugged, unrestrained style, Louis later recalled the titles' meanings: "Drop That Sack, some cat's stealing chickens. Georgia Bo Bo, that's a dance that originated in Georgia." The identical personnel had already recorded once before, on April 20, 1926, under the billing Lillian Armstrong's Serenaders. Those masters—"After I Say I'm Sorry" and an alternate reading of "Georgia Bo Bo"—were slated for Vocalion yet remained unissued for many years.