Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy is a 1954 studio release by
Louis Armstrong and His All Stars, described by
Allmusic as "Louis Armstrong's finest record of the 1950s" and "essential music for all serious jazz collections".[5]Columbia CD released the album on CD in 1986 in a much altered form, with alternative versions in place of many of the original songs, but restored the original with its 1997 re-issue, which also included additional tracks: a brief interview by the producer,
George Avakian, with
W. C. Handy; a joke told by Louis Armstrong; and several rehearsal versions of the songs.