How Did Louis Armstrong's Impact On American Culture

Picture this: the year is 1926 and you are walking down the street in downtown Chicago. You pass a crowded club, where you hear the upbeat and speedy rhythms of music pouring out. The sound consumes you, fills you with joy, and persuades you to dance. You walk into the club to find numerous people swinging and tossing themselves around each other, enjoying the fast-paced and boisterous music. This is the appearance of jazz music, and in the early 20th century, jazz music swept the nation. With artists like Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bichet , Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, jazz filled the souls of Americans, promoting a free and fun lifestyle. Although these artists had different beginnings,

The birth of jazz music is often credited to African Americans, though it didn’t take long to expanded to America's white middle class. Jazz, therefore, was characterised by a meshing of African American traditions and ideals with white middle class societies. Big cities like New York and Chicago were

Jazz music originated in New Orleans around the beginning of the 20th century, developing through various increasingly complex styles. These scores are generally marked by intricate, propulsive rhythms; polyphonic ensemble playing; improvisatory, virtuosic solos; melodic freedom and a harmonic idiom. These pieces range from simple diatonicism, through chromaticism, to atonality (Dictionary.com). The foundation of jazz is associated with the Black experience in the United States, but different cultures have added their own personal experiences and styles to this art form as well. As a result of jazz spreading around the world, it grew locally, regionally, and nationally in cultures. Each decade brought a new form of jazz including brass bands in the twenties, swing bands in the thirties, and smooth cool jazz in the forties.

Louisiana is the home to many different musical genres and is the birthplace of many different types of music. The different cultures in Louisiana helped create all of the music it has. Jazz, zydeco, and Cajun music are some of the genres that Louisiana is most known for. New Orleans has a major role is Louisiana’s music, one of the supposed reasons for New Orleans nickname “The Big Easy” is because of how easy it is for musicians to find work there. Before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 Louisiana was already bustling with music from operas to street corner singers. These music types all coming together is how jazz was made. The name jazz was actually coined in New York, applying to a baseball when it “wobbled.”

Many great performers have come out of the jazz industry, but the most widely known is Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Louis began playing at a young age when he was growing up in New Orleans. His greatest inspiration was Joe “King” Oliver. He began following him and eventually Oliver became Armstrong’s mentor. Armstrong practiced his instrument and eventually he became the jazz great everyone knows today. Armstrong’s unique singing and masterful improvisation transitioned jazz from the traditional style to a newer, more rhythmic style. He popularized scat singing and was the first musician to have his solo on a recording (Rodgers 85). The solos Armstrong performed along with his popular scat singing helped make jazz musicians more popular along with making the fans take notice of Armstrong and jazz itself (Rennert 8).

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).

One of the most iconic happenings in this age was the creation of jazz. Jazz had always been popular in night clubs in the south but during the great migration, jazz was brought to the north. After just a few weeks, jazz was the new fad and everyone was playing it. “Jazz flouted many musical conventions with its syncopated rhythms and improvised instrumental solos…improvisation meant that no two performances would ever be the same…” (The Decade That Roared, page

Specifically, jazz music is the soul of New Orleans and was actually born there. Congo square was the very spot where Jazz music was born (Lee). This was the only place African slaves could play their drums in New Orleans. In fact, it was the only place in America where the slaves had that type of freedom. The slave holders would allow the African slaves to be off work every Sunday. The other states in North America would never allow this “freedom.” Music was everywhere in New Orleans: churches, funerals, celebrations, parades, the French opera. Jazz music plays a significant role in funerals because it provides comfort. Slow, traditional tunes would be played to mourn over the death of a loved one. Once some words are exchanged over the dead, the jazz becomes more up-beat and turns into a celebration. This change in beat signifies that, although the people are sad they had to let the person go, they are happy they actually got to know them (Lee). This tradition was used over the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which allowed the people to mourn. Without their jazz, New Orleans probably wouldn't have gotten through all of the deaths they had to face. Music will always speak to people, especially in New

One of the most memorable cultural changes to occur during the Jazz Age was its eponymous musical genre. First played in New Orleans, the lively, swinging style and danceable rhythms

Louis Armstrong was born on August 4,1901. His nickname was satchmo or pops. He was a trumpeter American jazz and singer. He attended the fisk school for boys where he likely had early exposure to music. Armstrong died of a heart attack in his sleep on July 6,1971, a month before his birthday.

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.

Jazz is consider one of the most influential types of music an America History. Some of the greatest artist in the world have contribute to the success jazz have had not only on America History but throughout the world. This paper will explain the history of jazz, where it all came from and the effect it has had on the America Culture.

Between 1914 and 1923 the great migration, the rise of new jobs in cabarets and threatens, and the emergence of the phonograph as a home entertainment medium, all helped to transform the black music that was now calling itself jazz. That transformation varied in the three jam or black musical centers. New Orleans lost local musicians to the national musical world. The sound of the crescent City was carried too much of the country and was changed in the process, while musical opportunities within New Orleans declined slightly. A strong New Orleans infusion in Chicago added to a rapidly growing musical scene of cabaret and theater jobs and created a wide spectrum music’s. Part of this spectrum was documented at the end of the period with the

     The unique art form know as Jazz, was able to thrive initially in New Orleans. The most celebrated part of New Orleans was known as Storyville because it was a melting pot for Jazz. Storyville was so celebrated because it was the only region in the city that had brothels and pubs that allowed African Americans. Unfortunately, in 1970, President Roosevelt shut down the district in fear of violence between the natives and sailors. This resulted in a dispersion of jazz. Many artists traveled directly to Chicago after the closing of Storyville to restart their music.

     During the 1920’s which is also known as the “Roaring Twenties”, Chicago became the focal point for Jazz after clubs around New Orleans were closed. Record deals were being made there and soon Jazz was being acknowledged for the brilliant music it played. Famous musicians who received acclaim for their work in Chicago were Earl Hines, Johnny Dodds, Louis Armstrong, and King Oliver. In New York City, it