How Did Louis Armstrong's Impact On American Culture

     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

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).

Out of the streets of New Orleans, a new form of music arose. This new type of music was not known as African or European, but simply American. It was jazz. In 1900 jazz first developed, but it wasn’t until the

Initially, the first jazz is said to have been played by funeral bands that wailed music full of soul and sadness as the followed horse drawn hearses down the streets of New Orleans. It was blues music though (Winfield 157). Many historians mark the start of the “Jazz Age” on November 12, 1917- the day the Department of the Navy closed a thirty-eight square-block neighborhood known as storyville in the city of New Orleans. Fearing the health of its sailors, the navy shut the doors of Storyville’s brothels and nightclubs, forcing

Jazz music is a blend of white middle class thoughts and African American traditions. Jazz originated in New Orleans in the beginning of the 1920’s. The Jazz Age was from 1920 through 1929. During the 1920’s, the First World War had just ended in 1918 and the Great Depression was affecting the citizens of the United States. Jazz music and dancing helped people forget about the terrible Great Depression. It gave the citizens a reason to be happy and love life during the 1920’s. The new form of music allowed people to express themselves in new ways. Jazz music was influenced by African American musicians, changed the music industry all over the world, and affected the society.

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,

During the early 1900’s, a new style of music began to take shape in the colorful city of New Orleans. People from all over the world came to exchange stories, conversation, and music. Although it is a very hard genre of music to define, it is said that Jazz is the combination of European and African music that was brought in via the ports. With mostly an African American population, the musicians shared their music in Storyville - a cultural melting pot, and began to spread the “New Orleans Sound”. They contributed to what would soon be known as Jazz in 1917. The spontaneous nature of Jazz’s syncopation and sound makes it a very humanistic style of music and makes every performance original. Every day we improvise, whether it is in conversation or spur of the moment decisions. These truly unique elements caused Jazz to become a symbol of America, and changed music forever.

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

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.”

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.

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).

     Jazz music is a blending of both black and white tradition and heritages. New Orleans was the center of many different ethnicities, such as French, Spanish, American, and African

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.