• As the original album’s title indicates, Together for the First Time marked the first collaborative album by the legendary jazz giants Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. By the time the LP was recorded in 1961, both musicians had already enjoyed long and prosperous careers, and had known each other for decades. These sessions, however, are the only ones that capture them truly interacting together. The album was warmly received at the time of its release, with Down Beat giving it a rating of four and a half stars. ““We have A&R man Bob Thiele and Roulette to thank for what is the most inspired Armstrong record performance since the W.C. Handy session for Columbia a few years ago”, wrote Don DeMicheal, who added that: “Most of the credit for the quality of the date, however, must go to Ellington, whose presence evidently brought out the creative powers that Armstrong still possesses. Ellington is playing better now than he has ever before. A successful album, a good turn that deserves another.” The album has since been given a five-star rating in All Music Guide.