Miles Davis once said that the history of jazz could be told in four words: “Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker.”

And while Satchmo’s contributions to jazz might have been far behind him in 1964, Hello, Dolly! would become his most commercially successful record.

Listening to it, there’s little wonder. Louis Armstrong possesses one of the most idiosyncratic voices in music history, so having him sing some of the most beloved songs in the American songbook is a slam dunk.

And while this disc doesn’t have his biggest hits (“What a Wonderful World” or “April in Paris,” which was on his duet disc with Ella Fitzgerald), it does feature some wonderful tunes. Besides the title track, there’s Hammerstein’s “A Kiss To Build a Dream On,” his original “Someday,” the classic “Moon River,” and the infectious “Jeepers Creepers.”

But Louis’ band, rightly called “His All Stars,” deserve a lot of the credit too. Joe Darensborough’s clarinet weaves intricately through the changes. Glen Thompson’s banjo and guitar bounce along, driving the rhythm section. Billy Kyle’s fingers nimbly trace the piano keys as Danny Barcelona and Arvell Shaw thump across the skins and bass.

And of course, Louis’s trumpet playing is its own beast. It doesn’t sound like he’s playing an instrument—his trumpet is an extension of his own voice, with the same wide vibrato, the same tendency to leap notes at a time, the same gravelly resonance.

And while there have been more technically proficient musicians in the history of jazz, true proficiency over an instrument comes from making the instrument a part of yourself. While the layperson might not be able to grasp the intricacies of his playing or understand the skill involved, when Louis Armstrong plays trumpet, he sounds like absolutely no one else. And if that isn’t the mark of a great musician, I don’t know what is.