Hot Five

American jazz group

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June 29, 2026

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The Hot Five was an influential American jazz ensemble led by trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong. Formed in 1925, this group, along with the Hot Seven, marked a pivotal shift in jazz history, moving the focus from collective improvisation to the emerging strength of the individual soloist.12

The recordings made by the Hot Five, featuring musicians like pianist Earl Hines, are considered jazz classics. These sessions showcased Armstrong's virtuosic trumpet playing, his innovative improvisational style, and his developing talent as a vocalist, establishing him as the first great jazz soloist and profoundly shaping the future of jazz music.321

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jazz
The cornetist breaks away: Louis Armstrong and the invention of swing
…even more clearly on Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings of 1926–27—e.g., “Potato Head Blues,” “Big Butter and Egg Man,” “S.O.L. Blues,” “Hotter than That,” and “Muggles.” In effect, Armstrong taught the whole Henderson band, including the redoubtable tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, how to swing.
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…even more clearly on Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings of 1926–27—e.g., “Potato Head Blues,” “Big Butter and Egg Man,” “S.O.L. Blues,” “Hotter than That,” and “Muggles.” In effect, Armstrong taught the whole Henderson band, including the redoubtable tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, how to swing.
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Earl Hines
…of Armstrong’s seminal quintet, the Hot Five, and others with clarinetist Jimmie Noone.
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…of Armstrong’s seminal quintet, the Hot Five, and others with clarinetist Jimmie Noone.
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