Students, teachers, historians, and professionals of jazz are the intended readership of this study of the 33 original recordings of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five ensemble, made for Chicago's OKeh label between 1925 and 1928. Anderson (U. of Richmond, Virginia) combines a professional biography and discography of the group with analysis of selected songs, comparing his own transcriptions of Armstrong's and his colleagues' solos with the written melodies on original copyright deposits. The book also offers insights into the early days of popular music and illustrates the Hot Five's role in popularizing authentic New Orleans sounds. Readers can listen to the 20 songs discussed in greatest detail on the accompanying audio CD. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)