Description
Friedrichstadt-Palast, East Berlin March 1965 concert program
Original vintage concert program for Louis Armstrong’s performances at the Friedrichstadt-Palast in East Berlin on 20th, 21st & 22nd March, 1965. In an effort to undermine the Soviet Union’s claims to cultural supremacy during the Cold War, the CIA had founded the Congress of Cultural Freedom, and foremost among the “Goodwill Jazz Ambassadors” was Louis Armstrong. With an ensemble that included Jewel Brown, Danny Barcelona, Billy Kyle, and Eddie Shu, the East Berlin concerts were historic as they marked the first time Armstrong cracked the Iron Curtain. His popularity among soldiers and civilians on both sides of the Berlin wall was legendary and it would appear that no boundary was closed to Louis, as bassist Arvell Shaw once remarked.
In original, pictorial coated wrappers, staple bound, 16.3 x 23.5 cm, 8 pp. Program notes in German by Karlheinz Drechsel. Folded vertically, else just about near fine, tightly bound and clean. Additional photos available on request.
