Song of the Week: When the Saints Go Marching In

The long week is over, and below is a Song of the Week to suit the occasion – particularly on this gorgeous Saturday morning.

Of the stars in this performance, Louis Armstrong needs no introduction. Danny Kaye, though, may be a bit more obscure. In case it jogs the memory, Danny Kaye was an actor/singer/comedian who famously starred opposite Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, in the 1954 classic White Christmas. Anyway, by my estimation, Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye performed many a beat in the night club circuits of old. Fortunately for us, at least one of their performances was caught on tape.

Simply put, the video below is as fine an ad lib musical performance as any you will find. Ever. What really ‘makes’ the piece is how darn good they both were. We’ve since replaced true musical ability with the likes of Taio Cruz and Ke$ha, but at one point in time musicians actually had talent. The Armstrong & Kaye performance of “When the Saints Go Marching In” reminds us that this was so.

I could describe the song more, but as one commenter on YouTube wrote, ‘It is genuinely unfair for someone to be this good.’ So, please enjoy the Pax Plena Song of the Week, When the Saints Go Marching In.