Without hesitation, Louis Armstrong remains to be the musician who had a significant influence on jazz music. Armstrong did not only influence a transformation of jazz music but also the music had close impacts to the American culture and identity. It is easily persuaded that jazz music through Armstrong posited infinite changes to the American culture (Brothers 11). It is vital to understand Armstrong in regards to his familial background when determining the musician's influence on the American culture. Louis Armstrong was born in an extremely problematic family, a family that lived in deep poverty. This develops the idea that Armstrong himself was more than the publicly accepted fact that he was a dramatic trumpet player in New Orleans (Drowne & Huber 203).
Armstrong was the first artists to endorse improvised jazz of inventive solos over the prior art music that followed ensemble art form. Through the innovation of solo music, he was able to make sure the relaxed phrasing in jazz that replaced the staccato style of the twenties. Moreover, Armstrong's inventive style was the basis for the Swing Era that is commonly evidenced in different jazz art genres including the bebop and cool jazz (Brothers 88). Suggestible, the improvisation was the basis for the
…show more content…
The Armstrong's scat singing that replaced the use of words in the past music with the rhythmic harmony of nonsense syllables and his unique phrasing through horn playing had a virtual influence to the musicians who emerged within 1930-1940 such as Billie Holiday (Greene 10) and Bing Crosby. On the other hand, Armstrong's stage performance was a sense of humor, which greatly popularized jazz music to a broader audience. Additionally, the organization of Armstrong's music acted as an inspiration to a significant number of the Americans considering that youngsters found the courage to engage in art music through
Louis Armstrong was a talented musician who made a lasting impression on jazz music. He was as a soloist whose music could be performed within bands (Howes, Kelly King, and Christine Slovey). One of the many things Louis Armstrong was known for was his unique sound and style. As Louis was in Chicago, his playing began to improve. He had developed a new style of playing known as improvisation (January, Brendan, and Francois Roca). During the middle of a song, instead of playing what he was supposed to, Louis would break away and add something he would make up. This would give the song a different tone. Today, this is one of the main factors people love about jazz music (January, Brendan, and Francois Roca).
Aside from the typical cultural, social, and political factors influencing any musician’s style, an early life filled with poverty and hardship also shaped Louis Armstrong’s musical development. Some even theorize that it was Armstrong’s difficult upbringing that made his music so wise, so unique, and so revolutionary. Armstrong was an African American child growing up in the slums of New Orleans, close to abandonment, impoverished, and with too few constant people, resources, or homes. However, had his upbringing been different, his musical talents may never have been established to grow and thrive into one of the most internationally influential jazz musicians ever. When Louis Armstrong was placed in a boys’ home as a young boy, he was presented with the opportunity to play the cornet. He took up work in Joe (King) Oliver’s house, doing chores in exchange for musical lessons, developing into a
If one was to go out into the street, walked up to a random stranger and asked them if they knew who Louis Armstrong was, chances are that they would be able to answer you correctly. Louis Armstrong (Aug 4th, 1901 - Jul 6th, 1971) was an American trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor who became one of the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned many decades, from the 1920s to his death in 1971, and many different eras in jazz. He first came to prominence in the 1920s as a trumpeter and cornet player with no technique as well as being very skilled in scat singing, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, influencing many later jazz artists as well as shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance.With his very well-known and recognizable gravelly voice, a technique that was later named “crooning”, Armstrong was an incredibly influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser by bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes on demand. Renowned for his charming and incredibly charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet and/or cornet playing, Armstrong 's influence extends far beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the early 1970s at his death, he was widely regarded as a deep and profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first very popular
Louis Armstrong was an important and major music figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Mr. Armstrong, also known as Satchmo to his friends for his “satchel-like mouth”, came into existence August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Louis’ love for music had started in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. He had ended up in this environment because on New Year’s Eve, Louis had shot his stepfathers gun into the air to “celebrate the new year” and was arrested immediately. In the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, Louis had newfound love for the cornet, an instrument similar to the trumpet. Even though he had a job as a newspaper seller, Louis still had the opportunity of studying under one of the greatest cornet players of the time, King Oliver.
Many people knew Louis Armstrong as the “first real genius of jazz”(Shipton 26). He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. Louis was the illegitimate son of William Armstrong and Mary Est “Mayann” Albert. He was abandoned by his father, a boiler stoker, shortly after his birth and was raised by his paternal grandmother. Then, at the age of five, he was returned to the care of his mother, who at the time worked as a laundress. Together with his mom, they moved to a better area of New Orleans. This is where Armstrong first fell in love with music; he would listen to people playing any chance that he would get(Tirro). He would attend parades, funerals, churches and go to cheap cabarets to be able to hear some of the greats play
Music is one of the important art fields. It has a powerful effect on the people, communities and even countries. The leaders and pioneers in music fields have sometimes the spirituous effecting power more than many politicians. People all the time remembering those pioneers and feels very grateful towards them. Jazz is one of the most influential music genres of all time around the world. Jazz has many pioneers, but has one king “Louis Armstrong”. He was one of the most powerful trumpeters in jazz music. He was a great singer in the same time. In fact, Armstrong was one of the most powerful figures musicians in the history of American jazz. Moreover, he had known for his creativeness skills in music; he had different solo and modern rhythm,
For this analysis on Louis Armstrong’s West End Blues, I am going to concentrate on Louis Armstrong and how influential he was in the birth of Swing. He was extremely innovative in the way he played his instrument. Louis Armstrong had a brilliant trumpet sound. His power, range, and his rhythmic approach are all trademarks of his playing in the 1920s and 1930s. West End Blues is still considered one of the most influential and classic pieces in the Jazz Industry. I will explain why by breaking down the song utilizing the five elements of music; form, harmony, texture, melody, and rhythm.
Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential figures in jazz music, enjoyed a career that spans across 50 years, and through different eras of jazz. Nicknamed” Satchmo”, “Pops”, and” Ambassador Satch”, Armstrong could do it all, he sang, occasionally acted, composed music, but was most famous for his cornet and trumpet playing. Although Armstrong is well known for his amazing trumpet play, he also influenced the direction that jazz music during his time was headed. Over the course of this paper I will concisely go over his early life, and focus more on his music career.
Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. He also learned to sing. Because of his long improvised solos, he inspired jazz so that long solos became an important part of jazz pieces and performances. (Cayton, 462) Armstrong was the king of jazz trumpet players. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. (Hakim, 58) Although Jazz was very popular itself, a majority of the fans and listeners were younger people. Flappers were commonly known during this time. They danced to the jazz music with a whole new style.
Nps.gov states that some of the greatest musician in America History has come from the jazz side of the world. Artist such as Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday and Jelly “Roll” Morton, pave the way for jazz to reach its height as it did in the early 20’s with the upbeat tempo and smooth classical sound. These artist brung a unique sound to jazz that was not there. Louis Armstrong contribute to jazz is so remarkable, he played the trumpet like no other. His sound was so soothing to the ears. When you think about jazz, Louis Armstrong is one of the first names most people relate to jazz. Jelly “Roll” Morton was probably the most influence artist there is. An innovative piano stylist and composer, began his odyssey outside of New Orleans as early as 1907. He continue his work throughout the 1920’s and was mainly consider the reason of the swing era.
Louis Armstrong is to be considered one of the most influential jazz artists history and thee most important figure in jazz history. From the 1920’s all the way through the 1960’s, Armstrong had a very illustrious career. Armstrong was a composer, instrumentalist, arranger and a singer. Giving him many ways to have an everlasting legacy in music. He innovated many different styles and excelled in many different eras of jazz. Armstrong made an abundant of contributions to jazz ranging from new styles of jazz including a new way of singing, individual soloing, jazz in films and shows, and overall a lasting legacy.
Among the most popular and appreciated musicians of our time, Louis "Satchmo" Armostrong brought a musical presence, technical mastery, and imaginative genius that "so overwhelmed musicians of his day that he became their principle model, leaving an indelible imprint on the music" (Kernfield 27). When reviewing Armstrong's life work, his years with us can be divided into two aspects, his personal life and his music. While giving significant background of Armstrong's life, his paper will also introduce and explain the impact that he had on music and the world of jazz.
At the mention jazz music, that person will first think of is likely to be a great figure with a clown image, nicknamed Satchmo. The man was Louis Armstrong. He is a husky singer, often with a trumpet in his hand. He played dramatic works of simple structure in Orleans jazz style and with the accompaniment of Dick jazz music. Each of the books on jazz music will mention his name. Louis Armstrong was to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). This essay will have an introduction of the king of jazz music -- Louis Armstrong and his great influence on jazz history.
Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. He was from a very poor family and was sent to reform school when he was twelve after firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. At the school he learned to play cornet. After being released at age fourteen, he worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. He didn't own an instrument at this time,
Louis Armstrong: He is known to The King of Jazz as Louis “Satchmo.” He was actually one of the most outstanding personalities in the early jazz. He is believed to be the one defining jazz music. The significance of jazz according to him is –creation of a new something of an ancient, making. He gave a helping hand in the creation plus the representation of a brand new element of a twist on the popular music.