Louis Armstrong Research Paper

Louis Armstrong is mostly remembered for his music. As a trumpeter and singer, he influenced the music of his time period. Armstrong developed a different style of jazz music, and the people listening absolutely love it. His new jazz music consisted of more prominent solos and more

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).

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.

Before Armstrong had a great influenced on jazz music there was the Dixieland. So, before Louis Armstrong came around everyone was playing the Dixieland style of music. Dixieland style was more of the classical orchestrated structures. Within the bad everyone knew their roles and that wasn’t change. Everyone knew that the Bass was there for the low-pitched walking baseline which outlined the harmony. That the piano provided the syncopated commentary along with comping and the guitar provided the solos. While the drums provided things like swing, kicked of the solos and many more. Dixieland was

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

Success is a path way, full of mysterious wonders. Many strive to accomplish, while others wait for success to find them. Louis Armstrong’s life was similar to this. Armstrong strived and strived until he reached to a point in his life where he was comfortable with his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson. Armstrong is ultimately known as the creator of jazz and blues. He was awarded this title by using his talents when he was a young boy growing up in a rough neighborhood. Armstrong’s talent was a result of his childhood and young adult life. Growing up, Armstrong was exposed to music in his surroundings. Armstrong obtained this fantastic talent, therefore causing him to establish it in a well minded surrounding; creating his success and fame.

Making his voice sound like a musical instrument and singing nonsense syllables with no words created “Scat” singing. With his amazing voice trumpet he created a band and made some records. Being in many bands before he was not new to this. Louis did his first performance on stage in 1930 to spread his Jazz style. Armstrong made his first trip abroad, to Europe, and received the nickname “Satchmo” from his original nickname “Satchelmouth,” because of his big lips. Louis continued to spread his style by touring other countries. Eventually tour ended and Louis went back home to continue his

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 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.

Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong was one of the most popular musicians of his time. Upon initiating my research, I was surprised to find conflicting dates as to when he was born. Encarta Africa said he was born in 1901, 1001 things to know about African American history-1898, regular Encarta --1900, "Little Louis and the jazz band" by Angela Shelf Medearis says his date of birth is August 4, 1901. The book "Jazz Stars" by Richard Rennert states that Louis Armstrong was born in 1899, the book "Louis Armstrong" by Sam Tanenhaus says he was born on July 4, 1900. The reason why they have so many different dates is due to the fact that he probably wasn't born in a hastpital and they did not use to keep good records of black

Jazz would not be the same today without the contributions that Louis Armstrong brought to the jazz community, Armstrong opened up a whole new genre of jazz and paved the way for countless other Jazz artist to follow. Armstrong was a trumpet and cornet player, composer, actor, and singer. Armstrong was renowned throughout most of the U.S. he was even known by other names such as “Pops,” Satchmo,” and, later was known as “Ambassador Satch.” Armstrong’s life was full of controversy and challenges that he had to overcome, one such controversy was overcome racism from other Blacks.

“By the mid-1960s, rock ’n roll and groups like the Beatles were all the rage. Old line jazz performers had become somewhat less visible. Yet Armstrong, in the midst of the rock `n roll tsunami, was having something of a renaissance. In December 1963, at the behest of his manager, Armstrong made a demo recording of “Hello, Dolly!” to promote the stage show which opened in New York in January 1964” (What a Wonderful World).”He was one of the first African-American entertainers to be highly popular among both the white and the colored segments of the society. Fondly nicknamed Satchmo or Pops by his fans, he is often regarded to be the founding father of jazz”(Louis Armstrong Biography).”In 1967, at the age of 66, jazzmaster Louis Armstrong recorded a now-famous song titled, “What A Wonderful World” (What a Wonderful World). Armstrongs songs were still a hit even after 40

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).

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.