Louis Armstrong: On the Sunny Side of the Street

Recently a friend of ours lost her mother, a much-beloved, dyed-in-the-wool musician. At the funeral, our friend sang her mom's favorite song, concluding with a Satchmo-like "Oh, yeah" before losing it. This exceptional piece of courage and devotion made us realize we'd always misunderstood that song, associating it with jazz's most life-affirming artist. Yet listening again to Louis's rendition, we discover that of course he got it, singing: "I'm not afraid, baby. My rover crossed over." If we do make it to Heaven, surely that cat at the gate'll welcome us with an incandescent smile. And a gravelly "Oh, yeah."