a visit from st nicholas louis armstrong

LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S POIGNANT RECITING OF CLASSIC HOLIDAY POEM “A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS” (“THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”) BROUGHT TO LIFE IN BEAUTIFUL ANIMATED VIDEO TO USHER IN THE HOLIDAYS

THE LEGENDARY ARTIST’S FINAL RECORDING  FEATURED ON FIRST-EVER CHRISTMAS ALBUM, LOUIS WISHES YOU A COOL YULE,  AVAILABLE NOW VIA VERVE/UMe/UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA

WATCH “A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS”

18 NOVEMBER 2022 (TORONTO, ON)  – Louis Armstrong’s poignant reciting of Samuel Clement Moore’s beloved, timeless poem “ A Visit From St. Nicholas ,” more popularly known as “ The Night Before Christmas ,” has been vividly brought to life with a beautiful animated video to usher in the holiday season. Produced and directed by Tom Readdy and Lucy Dawkins at the award-winning creative house Yes Please Productions , the video was animated in a vintage storybook style by animators Sam Shaw , Jac Clinch and Chris Bowles .

Watch “A Visit From St. Nicholas” here: https://louisarmstrong.lnk.to/VisitFromStNicholasMV

“A Visit From St. Nicholas” is featured on the just-released album, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule (Verve/UMe/Universal Music Canada), which collects nearly the entirety of Armstrong’s holiday output and presents the recordings as a cohesive body of work, marking his first-ever official Christmas album. The first non-live recording of Armstrong’s to be released in more than 20 years was recorded by himself on a reel-to-reel tape recorder at his home in Corona, Queens, New York in February 1971 just a few months before he passed away. It’s unknown why exactly the ailing artist felt compelled to record the holiday staple months after Christmas, but it would end up being his final recording, and now an unexpected gift for fans more than 50 years later. Specially for this collection, the recording has been paired with a newly recorded musical underbed by New Orleans pianist Sullivan Fortner.

Now available to stream in both standard audio and immersive Dolby Atmos audio or purchase on CD, red vinyl and limited edition picture disc, the 11-track album boasts Satchmo’s six Decca Christmas singles from the ‘50s, including “Cool Yule,” “Christmas Night in Harlem,” and the swinging “‘Zat You Santa Claus?” and also features duets with two of Pops’ favorite vocal partners, Velma Middleton (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”) and Ella Fitzgerald (“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”). Rounding out the record is the artist’s signature hit, “What a Wonderful World,”which has become something of a yearlong hymn of hope and celebrates its 65 th anniversary this year.

The album includes new liner notes from GRAMMY®-Award winning writer, Ricky Riccardi , author of two Armstrong biographies (“Heart Full of Rhythm”   and   “What a Wonderful World”) and Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum .

Stream “A Visit From St. Nicholas” here: https://louisarmstrong.lnk.to/StNicholasPseudo

Stream Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule here : https://louisarmstrong.lnk.to/LouisXmas

Since his passing in 1971, Armstrong’s legacy as one of the most beloved and influential jazz artists of all time has only continued to grow, while his enduring catalog of recordings remains timeless. Born in New Orleans, Armstrong (1901-1971) began his career in the ‘20s, bringing his Dixieland background to Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. By the time he became an internationally-renowned star in the ‘40s, the hardworking singer, bandleader, actor, and trumpet player was spending nearly 300 days on tour every year. One constant throughout these shows, however, was the spirit of Christmas.

As a child, Riccardi writes, Armstrong “did not have much time for Christmas… life necessitated that he drop out of school and go to work while still a young boy to help support his mother and sister.” After his marriage to Lucille Wilson, however, the holidays took on a new meaning—particularly when the couple was on the road. Riccardi continues, “With the holidays approaching, Lucille bought a small Christmas tree and set it up in their hotel room. According to Lucille, Louis ‘just looked at it and looked at it and told me, ‘This is the first tree I’ve ever had.’ Louis refused to let Lucille take it down and insisted they take it with them on the rest of the tour. The Armstrongs would continue this tradition, Lucille later remarking that they continued setting up ‘a table tree and holiday fixings in whatever hotel in whatever country we happen to be in.’

Perhaps, it is that love of Christmas that accounts for Armstrong’s somewhat mysterious reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Whether Satchmo was giving fans one final present, or simply finding comfort in his favorite holiday, it is certain that the recording, and this album, will deliver plenty of Christmas magic.

As one of his many acts of generosity, Louis Armstrong established the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, to, in his words, “give back to the world some of the goodness he received.” Founded and funded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969, LAEF is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to perpetuating the legacies of Louis and Lucille Armstrong throughout the world. Its mission includes supporting musicians, jazz education, performances and programming. LAEF is a living legacy to Louis Armstrong, the most important creative force in the early development and perpetuation of America’s music, jazz. His influence, as an artist and cultural icon, is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.

Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule Track Listing

(1CD/Digital)

1. Cool Yule 

2. Winter Wonderland 

3. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (w/ Ella Fitzgerald) 

4. ‘Zat You Santa Claus? 

5. Christmas In New Orleans 

6. White Christmas 

7. Christmas Night In Harlem 

8. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (w/ Velma Middleton) 

9. Moments To Remember 

10. What A Wonderful World 

11. Reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” with Sullivan Fortner, piano accompaniment 

Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule Track List

3. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (w/Ella Fitzgerald) 

1. Christmas Night In Harlem 

2. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (w/ Velma Middleton) 

3. Moments To Remember 

4. What A Wonderful World 

5. Reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” with Sullivan Fortner, piano accompaniment

Listen to Louis Armstrong Recite “’Twas The Night Before Christmas”

By ellen gutoskey | nov 26, 2021.

On and off since late 1950, Louis Armstrong had been documenting his life through tape recordings . He’d record conversations, interviews, personal stories, and other spoken audio. He’d also often play a vinyl record—of his own music or someone else’s—and tape-record that, sometimes introducing each song as he went.

So in 1969, when Armstrong was convalescing at home in Queens, New York, after a hospital stay, he devoted the downtime to his hobby. From then until his death on July 6, 1971, the venerated musician made some 200 tape recordings in his den. His wife, Lucille, even had the room refurbished and outfitted with new tape decks, according to Ricky Riccardi, director of research collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum .

It was during this period that Armstrong created his final commercial record: a spirited recitation of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” an early 19th-century poem better known as “ ’Twas the Night Before Christmas ” or just “The Night Before Christmas” (which may or may not have been written by Clement Clarke Moore).

As Smithsonian reports , Armstrong—who got his first Christmas tree at age 40—narrated the Christmas classic at home on February 26, 1971, on a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Lorillard Tobacco Company then produced 1 million vinyl copies of it—with an old recording of Armstrong’s “When the Saints Go Marching In” on the B-side—and handed them out for free to cigarette purchasers during the holidays.

“This great man always bubbled with life and his version of ‘The Night Before Christmas’ obviously tickled him as deeply as it should his listeners,” New York Daily News columnist Robert Sylvester wrote in the album’s liner notes . “His ad libs, his accentuation and his pure delight with his ‘acting’ are contagious and bring to us a piece of work which will make us appreciate his great talent year after year as we listen to his Christmas tribute.”

You can listen for yourself below—no cigarette purchase necessary.

[h/t Smithsonian ]

PODCAST | NOTABLE RELEASES | NEWS | REVIEWS | FEATURES

Louis armstrong’s ‘a visit from st nicholas’ gets animated video.

Posted by Buddy Iahn | Nov 18, 2022

Legendary artist’s final recording featured on first-ever Christmas album

Louis Armstrong’s poignant reciting of Samuel Clement Moore’s beloved, timeless poem “ A Visit From St. Nicholas ,” more popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas,” has been vividly brought to life with a beautiful animated video to usher in the holiday season. Produced and directed by Tom Readdy and Lucy Dawkins at the award-winning creative house Yes Please Productions, the video was animated in a vintage storybook style by animators Sam Shaw, Jac Clinch and Chris Bowles.

“A Visit From St. Nicholas” is featured on the just-released album, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule , which collects nearly the entirety of Armstrong’s holiday output and presents the recordings as a cohesive body of work, marking his first-ever official Christmas album. The first non-live recording of Armstrong’s to be released in more than 20 years was recorded by himself on a reel-to-reel tape recorder at his home in Corona, Queens, New York in February 1971 just a few months before he passed away. It’s unknown why exactly the ailing artist felt compelled to record the holiday staple months after Christmas, but it would end up being his final recording, and now an unexpected gift for fans more than 50 years later. Specially for this collection, the recording has been paired with a newly recorded musical underbed by New Orleans pianist Sullivan Fortner.

Now available to stream in both standard audio and immersive Dolby Atmos audio or purchase on CD, red vinyl and limited edition picture disc via Verve/UMe, the 11-track album boasts Satchmo’s six Decca Christmas singles from the ‘50s, including “Cool Yule,” “Christmas Night in Harlem,” and the swinging “‘Zat You Santa Claus?” and also features duets with two of Pops’ favorite vocal partners, Velma Middleton (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”) and Ella Fitzgerald (“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”). Rounding out the record is the artist’s signature hit, “What a Wonderful World,” which has become something of a yearlong hymn of hope and celebrates its 65th anniversary this year.

The album includes new liner notes from Grammy Award-winning writer, Ricky Riccardi, author of two Armstrong biographies (“Heart Full of Rhythm” and “What a Wonderful World”) and Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

About The Author

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: [email protected]

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‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ will be included in Satchmo’s first-ever Christmas album, due on October 28.

Published on

The final recording by Louis Armstrong , a recitation of Samuel Clement Moore’s beloved poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas”) is now available to stream and download.

Shop the best of Louis Armstrong’s discography on vinyl and more .

The first newly-released track by the great entertainer in more than 20 years, it will be included in Satchmo’s first-ever Christmas album, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule , to be released digitally on October 28. The set will then be available on CD, red vinyl and a limited edition picture disc on November 11 via Verve/UMe. All 11 tracks on the album have also been mixed in immersive Dolby Atmos and hi-res audio.

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Already ailing, Armstrong made the recording of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” on his reel-to-reel tape recorder at his home in Corona, Queens, New York, which is now the Louis Armstrong House and Museum. It’s not known why he felt compelled to commit the holiday staple to tape months after Christmas, but it became his final recording. It is now augmented with a newly-recorded musical bed by New Orleans pianist Sullivan Fortner.

Remarkably, although Satchmo’s holiday recordings are a standard part of the holiday soundtrack, he never released a Christmas album during his lifetime. Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule gathers together his festive recordings as a cohesive body of work, featuring almost all of his holiday output. This includes six Decca singles from the 1950s, including “Cool Yule,” “Christmas Night in Harlem,” and the swinging “‘Zat You Santa Claus?”.

The 11-track collection also offers duets with two of Pops’ favorite vocal collaborators, Velma Middleton (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”) and Ella Fitzgerald (“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”). An official video for the latter Louis and Ella classic, hand-drawn by director and animator JonJon in his signature “line and shape” style, is available to view.

The album also contains Armstrong’s enduring chart-topper “What a Wonderful World,” much-loved as a year-long hymn of hope. Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule will new liner notes from Grammy-winning writer Ricky Riccardi, author of the Armstrong biographies Heart Full of Rhythm and What a Wonderful World and director of research collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

Riccardi writes that Armstrong “did not have much time for Christmas…life necessitated that he drop out of school and go to work while still a young boy to help support his mother and sister.” But following his marriage to Lucille Wilson, the holidays took on new meaning, especially when the couple were on the road. “With the holidays approaching, Lucille bought a small Christmas tree and set it up in their hotel room,” writes Riccardi. “According to Lucille, Louis ‘just looked at it and looked at it and told me, ‘This is the first tree I’ve ever had.’

“Louis refused to let Lucille take it down and insisted they take it with them on the rest of the tour. The Armstrongs would continue this tradition, Lucille later remarking that they continued setting up ‘a table tree and holiday fixings in whatever hotel in whatever country we happen to be in.’”

Pre-order Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule , which is released on October 28.

The full tracklist is:

1. Cool Yule 2. Winter Wonderland 3. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (w/ Ella Fitzgerald) 4. ‘Zat You Santa Claus? 5. Christmas In New Orleans 6. White Christmas 7. Christmas Night In Harlem 8. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (w/ Velma Middleton) 9. Moments To Remember 10. What A Wonderful World 11. Reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” with Sullivan Fortner, piano accompaniment

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A Visit From St. Nicholas

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A Visit from St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)

By clement clarke moore.

An unexpected house guest arrives on Christmas night.

Source: Troy: Troy Sentinel, 1823

• Year Published: 1823
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States of America
• Flesch–Kincaid Level: 1.7
• Word Count: 548
• Genre: Poetry
• Keywords: christmas, holidays, santa, traditions
• ✎ Cite This

Moore, C. (1823). A Visit from St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) . (Lit2Go ed.). Retrieved May 14, 2024, from https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/234/a-visit-from-st-nicholas-twas-the-night-before-christmas/

Moore, Clement Clarke. A Visit from St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) . Lit2Go Edition. 1823. Web. https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/234/a-visit-from-st-nicholas-twas-the-night-before-christmas/ >. May 14, 2024.

Clement Clarke Moore, A Visit from St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) , Li2Go edition, (1823), accessed May 14, 2024, https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/234/a-visit-from-st-nicholas-twas-the-night-before-christmas/ .