Louis Armstrong
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,
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In 1931 he returned to Chicago and assembled his own band for touring purposes. In June of that year he returned to New Orleans for the first time since he left in 1922 to join King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Armstrong was greeted as a hero, but racism marred his return when a White radio announcer refused to mention Armstrong on the air and a free concert that Louis was going to give to the cities' African-American population was cancelled at the last minute. Louis and Lil also separated in 1931. In 1932 he returned to California, before leaving for England where he was a great success. For the next three years Armstrong was almost always on the road. He crisscrossed the U.S. dozens of times and returned to Europe playing in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland and England. In 1935 he returned to the U.S. and hired Joe Glaser to be his manager. He had known Glaser when he was the manager of the Sunset Cafe in Chicago in the 1920s. Glaser was allegedly connected to the Al Capone mob, but proved to be a great manager and friend for Louis. Glaser remained Armstrong's manager until his death in 1969.
Glaser took care of the business end of things, leaving Armstrong free to concentrate on his music. He also hired the Luis Russell Orchestra as Louis' backup band with Russell as the musical director. This was like going home for Armstrong, because Russell's Orchestra was made up of
He performed in front of large audiences at places like the cotton club and with King Oliver’s Creole band. African Americans performing at the cotton club had a huge impact on the Harlem Renaissance because it allowed the African American people to display their culture and inspire others for one of the first times. Duke Ellington was the African American performer to really persuade the owners of the club to allow other African Americans to perform alongside the normal performers. Louis Armstrong did a collaboration with this man, which shows his importance to his society during this time period. Alongside his new style of jazz music, the lyrics he used and the messages his songs conveyed were very influential and inspiring during the Harlem Renaissance. Armstrong made it a point to keep his political view to himself, and wrote songs of happiness and integration rather than sorrow.He is a New Orleans trumpet player who loves to entertain. (Schwartz, “What Louis Armstrong Really
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, also known as the king of jazz was born on Augest 4th, 1901, in New Orleans Louisiana; he died July 6, 1971 in Corona Queens New York. Louis Armstrong is famous for his stunning jazz performance, unique vocals, and amazing styles with the trumpet/cornet. Louis Armstrong recorded many popular songs like La Vie en Rose, and his theme song When its Sleepy Time Down South. Louis's Father left him around childbirth, and his mother often used prostitution for money. He was often left with his grandmother, and left school in fifth grade to start working. Louis was able to get hired as a junk collecter and coal deliverer.
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
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.
“Little Louis” sung in a vocal quartet in his early teens. His rise to the top, though not overnight, occurred quickly, he played with mostly all the major bands in New Orleans over the next few years (Friedwald 350). In 1922, his mentor, King Oliver, invited him to work his Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. After recording with Oliver for over a year, Armstrong moved into what would become the most important early-jazz big band, Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra (Shipton 201). As if it were not enough that Armstrong would rewire instrumental music for the rest of the century, his singing did the same for vocal music. He sang much as he played, but with a playfulness and a rasp, that would forever be part of American culture (Winfield 167). The first important trend in New York Jazz was Hot Jazz that was an incendiary style introduced by Louis Armstrong (Winfield 170). He was known for both his joyous ways with the trumpet and his peculiarly touching and funny vocal style. There was a cheerful impatience in his playing, an optimistic confidence that led him to risk going over the top (Shipton 157). Louis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. Armstrong could make an audience cheer, but Roy Eldridge, made those top and bottom notes feel like a natural part of what the horn should do (Friedwald 21). Blessed with
The band never played live, but continued recorded until 1928. While working at the Sunset, Louis met his future manager Joe Glasner. Glasner managed the Sunset at the same time. Armstrong continued to play in Carrol Dickeson's Orchestra until 1929. He also lead his own band on them same venue under the name of Louis Armstrong and his Strompers. For the next two years Armstrong played with Carroll Dickerson's Savory Orchestra and with Clarence Jones' Orchestra in Chicago. By 1929 Louis Armstrong was becoming a very big star. He toured with the show "Hot Chocolates" and appeared occasionally with Luis Russell Orchestra, with Dave Peyton, and with the Fletcher Henderson. Armstrong moved to Los Angeles in 1930 and where he fronted a band called Louis Armstrong and his Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra. In 1931, he returned to Chicago ad assembled his own band for touring purposes. In June of that year he returned to New Orleans for the first time since he had left in 1922 to join King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Armstrong was greeted as a hero, but racism mared his return when a white radio announcer refused to announce Armstrong on the air and a free concert that Louis was going to give to the city's African American population was cancelled at the last minute. Louis and Lil separated in 1931 also. In 1932 he returned to California, before leaving for England where he was a great success. Armstrong toured the United States, England,
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
Louis Armstrong is most famously known Playing jazz music and probably the most recognizable jazz player of all time. After firing his stepfather's gun into the air to celebrate new year's eve, he was arrested shortly after. At age 11 Louis was sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys; there he learned to play the cornet and found his love for music. By 1922 he had moved to chicago to record his first solo in 1923, the "Chimes Blues". Armstrong played in recording groups, particular, the hot five and hot seven. The most popular songs Porgy and Bess, and What a Wonderful World. Louis Armstrong also received awards such as Recieved a star at the hollywood hall of fame.3.32. Many consider Armstrong to be a
Louis Blues", Clarence Williams, and the Red Onions Jazz Babies. By this time, Armstrong had gained enough individual attention to make his recording debut as a leader in 1925 when he returned to Chicago. He joined his wife's band at the Dreamland Café, and also played in Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra and then with Carrol Dickenson's Orchestra at the Sunset Café. That same year Armstrong recorded his first Hot Five records, which was the first time he made records under his own name. Any of the records that were made by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven were considered to be Jazz classics. Their band continued recording until 1928, but never played live. This music set a standard and the agenda for jazz in the many years to follow. Armstrong's trumpet introduction to "West End Blues" is very famous. It has yet to be surpassed and remains as one of the greatest recorded moments of jazz. While Louis was working at the Sunset Café, he met Joe Glaser, who became his manager. Glaser was his manager until he died. Armstrong led his own band; they were called Louis Armstrong and his Stompers. Louis had become a big star by 1929. He occasionally appeared with the Luis Russell Orchestra, with Dave Peyton, and Fletcher Henderson, and also toured with the show "Hot Chocolates." In Chicago in 1931 Armstrong assembled his own band for touring purposes. When he
On August 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to William Armstrong and Mary “Mayann” Albert. His youth was spent in poverty, in a poor neighborhood nicknamed “the battlefield”. Immediately following the birth of Louis, his father abandoned his mother and family. His unwed single mother had to often resort to prostituting herself to provide for her family. This left Louis is the care of his grandmother. Louis Armstrong had only attended school until the fifth grade at Fisk School for Boys, until he was compelled to drop out and help provide money for his family. The Karnofskys, a Jewish family, considered Louis as a family member and helped him get a job, “collecting junk and delivering coal (“Louis Armstrong Biography”)”. Louis also formed “a vocal quartet with three other boys and performed on street corners for tips (“Louis Armstrong - Timeline”)”. During a New Year’s Eve
Louis Armstrong is a man of many talents and skills known for creating a new environment, especially in his home town of New Orleans. He was born into poverty on August 4, 1901 in the streets of Back o’ Town (Meckna). He’s a professional jazz performer who played with Oliver and Henderson. He started as a soloist for Henderson after marrying Lil Hardin. He has many nicknames in which some are Satchmo and Pops. He also played as a second trumpet for King Oliver. He interprets and contributes to the genre of jazz, creates great form through his performance in the “Hot Chocolates,” and his work represents a whole for equality and the civil rights movement.
Louis Armstrong’s sound had a large influence on Henderson’s band and that basically transformed the sound of Jazz in New York City. Louis Armstrong taught everyone how to swing New Orleans style and added the rhythm of New Orleans to New York Jazz. Armstrong added Blues elements that didn't exist prior to New York City sounds. Armstrong increased the appreciation of the New York Jazz harmonic language and lengthened the solo passages. “Armstrong’s authority and originality, his profound feeling for the blues, and his irresistible, heart- pounding rhythmic drive affected everyone who heard
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: 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.