The Success of an Artist
Did you know that Louis Armstrong was arrested at age 11 because he fired his stepfather’s pistol for a New Year’s celebration where in prison he developed his passion of jazz.(qtd. in Top 10 Facts) He was born on August 4, 1901 which he came from a poor family in New Orleans which he spent his childhood in poverty. Armstrong started to love music when he was in prison and he was considered one of the most influential artists in Jazz history.(Biography) Louis Armstrong’s enthusiastic way of defining jazz made him an idol to America.
Louis Armstrong was known to be the father of Jazz due to his way of interpreting his point of view on jazz. Louis Armstrong’s performance led Jazz to become well-known and popular. “The next few years were enormously significant in the history of jazz because of Armstrong's inspired improvisations.” Jazz became popular during the 1920s due to Armstrong’s enthusiastic performances. Armstrong’s had a brilliant way of playing the trumpet and it led him to always be center stage. Louis Armstrong is known to be the most influential man. “His versatile trumpet playing and rich, gravelly voice inspired many
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Armstrong had redefined the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” “His virtuosic abilities awed jazz enthusiasts and word quickly spread.” The lyrics to Armstrong’s songs was not the only reason why he was considered a symbol to Jazz. His passion to sing and his fluent voice created a fiction between him and his fans which created his fame. His perspective of Jazz gives him help on how to make his music stand out from other musicians. “Armstrong expresses his musical freedom through rhythmic improvisation.” He was credited with the invention of scat-singing which is using syllables instead of words. When Armstrong uses scat-singing in his songs, it creates a different way to play jazz and it shows that you are your
Louis has being the most prominent trumpet player in history. His trumpet playing techniques significantly impacted all other instrument players who came after him and emulated his techniques in all other instruments. His style and innovative perspective of jazz changed all the forthcoming jazz singers who had a lot to learn from him, including Bix who learnt a lot from Louis Armstrong. Two of his most famous hit sounds were “What a Wonderful World” as well as “Hello Dolly” among others. The emotions attached to his music is what attracted most people and led to the spread of his music. The charm present in the music was also adored and enjoyed by
Developed in the early 1940's, Bop had established itself as vogue by 1945. It's main innovators were alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. In this stage in jazz, improvisation differed immensely. Bebop soloists engaged in harmonic improvisation, often avoiding the melody altogether after the first chorus. Usually under seven pieces, the soloist was free to explore improvised possibilities as long as they fit into the chord structure. Popular and influential jazz artists include: Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, & Cannonball Adderley. Armstrong is most known for his involvement in hot jazz as a trumpeter, but is especially renowned for his improvisation capabilities. Louis Armstrong, born August 4, 1901 right in the beginning stages of the jazz movement, was originally from New Orleans. Armstrong was a bandleader, soloist, comedian/actor, and vocalist. Another famous, Miles Davis, is what some consider to be the best trumpeter of the era. Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois. One unique thing about Davis was that he was taught to play without vibrato, which was incredibly contrary to the popular way of
With Chas as his partner in crime, or manager, Hendrix became known world wide. He began his very first tour with his band Jimmy James And The Blue Flames. Chas and Hendrix worked very hard that year and finally released their first Album in the late 1966 early 1967 titled Are You Experienced? This album included the famous tracks Hey Jude and Purple Haze. During mid 1967, Hendrix did something that took the world by surprise. While performing at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 he set his favorite guitar on fire. When later asked about why he did so, Hendrix simply
Armstrong changed much as a person and a musician. He worked very hard to become
“His relaxed phrasing was a major change from the staccato style of the early 20’s and helped to set the stage for the Swing Era” (“Life & Legacy”). And as such a prominent artist, and in particular, jazz artist, Armstrong did not only change the perception of jazz and swing, but the views on African Americans and their culture. Armstrong and the Harlem Renaissance reflected black history and culture, and it became popular, even in white communities and clubs. Jazz as a whole genre helped further society’s views through the universal language of music, where any ethnicity could partake in it. And the revolution of jazz was lead by the stylings of Louis Armstrong. The duration of the jazz and swing era, lasting decades past the 1920s, symbolized the civil rights movement directly through the lyrics, sounds, and artists
His boisterous personality influenced many aspects of American culture, and his contributions and influence on Jazz are immeasurable. Nobody has done more for Jazz than Louis Armstrong, without question he is a Jazz legend (Friedwald). Armstrong excelled at everything he performed. A renaissance man of our time, his appreciation for music and life showed in his performances, and his talent showed his techniques and improvisation. Louis’s technique and improvisation on the trumpet set the standard for Jazz musicians (Friedwald). Fellow trumpeter Dizzie Gillespie credited Armstrong with this honor stating, “If it weren’t for him there wouldn’t be any of us.” This reputation would lend him to be referred to as Jazz royalty. With his trumpet and his scat singing he revolutionized Jazz. Though vocally limited, his understanding of how to use his voice beyond his natural abilities led to his perfection of scat (Edwards). Scatting allowed him to perfect his improvisational skill. Scatting, or scat singing would come to be known as the “House that Satch Built” and Armstrong the “Original Man of Scat.”
It was said that he thought he was born on July 4, 1900 (Armstrong 7). While Louis was still an infant his father, William Armstrong, abandoned his family. He spent the first years of his life living with his Grandmother since at the time his parents were going through a separation. At age 5, he moved into a home with his mother and sister, Beatrice, whom he called Mama Lucy. He grew up in a rough section of New Orleans. They were incredibly poor and did not have enough money. He would work different jobs just to take care of his family. Louis would work anywhere that he would be able to find work. He would sing on the street, which would result in his nickname, Satchelmouth that would be shorten to Satchmo. His nickname was a result of him having a wide
He is the greatest and most important musician in jazz history, and he made an innovation of jazz music. It is no exaggeration to say that, in a sense, Armstrong pioneered jazz history.
When it comes to jazz music, there is one name that everyone knows, whether they’ve never listened to jazz before or if they’ve listened to it their whole lives. That name is Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was one of the pioneers of jazz music, from his humble beginnings in one of New Orleans roughest districts, “the Battlefield”, to playing concerts for sold out crowds in Chicago and New York City, Louis left a massive impact on the way America listened to music for a long time. One of his premier tracks, “West End Blues”, left an impact on jazz music, which other musicians would try to emulate for years.
He was known as the Father of Jazz. He was most notable as an entertainer, however, he was a soloist that provided improvisations in regards to tunes. Louis Armstrong's “What a Wonderful World” is the first song that comes to many minds when discussing jazz. He is also well known for his scat singing, However, he also had a political side. In his song “What Did I Do To Be So Black and Blue,” Armstrong talks about the color of his skin as a bad thing and how blacks were treated. In World War II he fulfilled by performing for the soldiers during a recording
Louis Armstrong was known for his “hot jazz” while Bix Beiderbecke was known more for his “cool reflective” jazz style. Louis Armstrong developed a new style of jazz music that took New Orleans by storm, and many other bands decided to move to north Chicago because of it. In 1925 Louis recorded his first Hot Five records and this was the first time he developed songs under his name. Then later on he made the Hot Seven and these two records are considered some of the biggest jazz classics. These records really established Louis Armstrong’s “hot jazz” style and many people recognized that. Many people and critics also considered these records as some of the finest jazz recordings in history, solos began to emerge and that really characterized jazz. These tracks were very important because it not only expressed Louis style but it influenced a lot of the jazz world. After the tracks many people began to change from polyphony to soloists, from embellishment to improvisation, and changing from breaks to having solos and their was much more influence. Then there was Bix Beiderbecke who was known for his “cool reflective” jazz. He was known for having a unique lyric tone, he had a vibrant sound, and he and he was different from other trumpet and cornet players. These were the type of things that led to the development of what is known as “cool jazz”. Everything that he went through in his life, the sadness, his heroic side, all this led to his music style. These two had a huge impact with their type of styles, which is the reason for their success. There uniqueness is what led to their style and them being known for their type of jazz, one simply can not say that one is better than the other because they simply did not have the same
All types of music require musicians. In the H.R (Harlem Renaissance), there were many who contributed to this new style of music known as jazz. These musicians all have their own style and form. Each of these styles has in some way influenced the evolution of jazz. Louis “Sachmo” Armstrong is recognized as the most famous trumpet player of this time. His “hot bop” style was heard in places like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theatre. Everyone from all over the country would come to see him. Armstrong recorded such works as I’m in the Mood for Love, and You Rascal you (http://library.thinkquest.org/26656/english/music.html). Another famous person during this era was Coleman Hawkins, a saxophone player. Hawkins is recognized as the first great saxophonists of Jazz. His most famous work was a piece named Body and Soul (http://library.thinkquest.org…). Hawkins has also recorded with artists such as Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. Other people such as Bessie Smith, Josephine Baker, Duke Ellington, and “Dizzie” Gillespie have also made many contributions to the development of Jazz.
Louis Armstrong, nicknamed “satchmo” because of his large mouth, which noticeably stood out compared to the most well known figures in early jazz. To many, he is still the creator of modern jazz music. Armstrong was born on July 4, 1900 in New Orleans. He grew up in New orleans with his grandmother, having never met his father
In conclusion, the evidence is overwhelming that jazz has left a large impact on American culture. The birth of jazz started with African Americans and has lasted throughout the years because of African Americans. Events such as the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance allowed for artists such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to spread the popularity of jazz. Jazz was able to change how Americans viewed African Americans and their culture and essentially invited Americans into their culture and shape America to where it is today. This change was happened because jazz brought a change to the music scene, acceptance of African Americans, and a change of lifestyles to the everyday people. Although some will never be convinced, but jazz is here to stay.
Through his contribution to early Jazz, he had a direct hand in developing the new field of academic jazz scholarship, although it had been extensively debated on his contribution. None the less, his talent formed a popularity that was surpassed by none, even to the point that once in his career; he was more popular than the Beatles. Undoubtedly, he was the first, if not the only to present Jazz to the public as a form of art. This changed the direction of Jazz to not just leisure listening music, but a teachable and complicated