LOUIS ARMSTRONG - BLUEBERRY HILL
Milan is excited to release Blueberry Hill , an album of live recordings by Louis Armstrong, on April 19th, 2005. Digitally remastered, the album features the jazz trumpet genius at the height of his career, as well as collaborative works with renowned jazz musicians Dany Barcelona, Trummy Young, and vocalist Jewell Brown.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG - THE KATANGA CONCERT
In November 1960, Louis Armstrong and his orchestra embarked for Africa as Honorary Ambassadors of the U.S. State Department. The diplomatic mission in no way dampened Armstrong's usual jovial behavior, nor did it stifle his legendary and natural spontaneity, as is so brilliantly heard on this exuberant performance recorded live in Katanga.

THE FIVE CORNERS QUINTET
The Five Corners Quintet is a Helsinki-based postmodern jazz outfit influenced by early 1960s straight-ahead and Latin jazz. Led by producer Tuomas Kallio, The Five Corners Quintet is a new extension of the highly acclaimed Nuspirit Helsinki collective. Featuring Mark Murphy and the sultry female voice of Paris-based Okou, a versatile vocalist who has worked with Mick Jagger and Keziah Jones. In musical terms, the goal of The Five Corners Quintet is to set an example of how dance floor-friendly contemporary production can successfully meet the musical craftsmanship of the past, creating music that sounds as hip as classic jazz records but is, at the same time, structurally polished and easily accessible. Not housey nu-jazz, but jazz in the classic modernist spirit.

SCOTT JOPLIN � RAGTIME PIANO ROLL
This album of recordings has been meticulously converted from Scott Joplin's original piano rolls, recorded digitally and restored with absolute brilliance and tasteful revival. He had produced a great number of perforated rolls that up until recently could only be played on a mechanical piano. Now, thanks to technology and the work of Jean-Claude Vartanian, we can access his work without the imperfections of a mechanical piano. Finally Joplin's work can be listened to and enjoyed exactly the way he wrote it.

BESSIE SMITH: ITINERARY OF A GENIUS
Bessie Smith, The Empress of Blues, was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her influence stretches far beyond the reaches of middle America, or the 1920s-30s, or even Blues music. This record is 22 recordings of the highest quality, a rarity among the many that exist today. Guest artists and collaborators here include Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Joe Smith, Charlie Green, Benny Goodman and Buck Washington. Bessie proudly joins Milan's Itinerary of a Genius collection alongside Ennio Morricone and Astor Piazzolla. Includes high-quality matte-finish o-card.