Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was the most influential person in jazz's history. He contributed greatly to the growth of jazz and was able to play in a variety of ways. His amazing and interesting life came from his straight talent for the music. He deserved every bit of fame he got simply because he was an incredible musician.
Louis Armstrong was born in 1900 and raised by a poor New Orleans family. At twelve he was sent to reform school for firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. There he learned to play the cornet, which was his introduction to music. After he was released he worked small jobs and, although he did not own an instrument, he enjoyed listening to the Hot Style jazz of the time. Joe King Oliver was one of his favorites. The man acted as Armstrong's father and teacher for a large portion of his life, giving him his first cornet and a job to play at some of his gigs.
From there he joined semi-successful groups playing trumpet, until 1922 when he was asked to join King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band located in Chicago. This was a dream come true to Armstrong. As soon as he arrived in Chicago Oliver's band became a huge success. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band helped bring New Orleans style jazz to Chicago.
During this time Armstrong met Lil Hardin, the pianist for the Creole Jazz band. The two were married in 1924. Hardin, being an ambitious woman, convinced Armstrong to leave his mentor's band and not get stuck playing next to Oliver. As well as his amazing instrumental ability, Armstrong also did a lot of singing, including scat improvising. He had a deep raspy voice like no other.
In 1924 Armstrong moved to New York where he played with Fletcher Henderson for a year and recorded with many other jazz and blues musicians. He recorded his first "Hot 5" record that year as well. Armstrong's recordings with the "Hot 5"and "Hot Seven" groups, are considered jazz classics. They recorded until 1927. At this time he was becoming a true star and was playing with numerous popular bands.
In 1931, Armstrong went back to Chicago to form his own touring band. That same year he went back to New Orleans for the first time in more than ten years, except this time he was greeted as a star.
Eventually in 1937, Dizzy Gillespie decided to head out to New York to carry out his dream of becoming a famous jazz player. During his time at New York he talked with many different bands and earned a job with Teddy Hill’s band. Hill was very impressed with Gillespie’s unique playing style. The group went on a tour from Great Britain to France shortly after Gillespie had joined the band. After getting back from the tour G...
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
Armstrong changed much as a person and a musician. He worked very hard to become
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
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.”
Louis Armstrong was the first great trumpet soloist in jazz. His unmistakable trumpet and vocals allowed him to continue doing what he loved most, making people happy. Armstrong was loved by many people, whether they were white, Africa...
Recognized as one of the greatest all time jazz figures Duke Ellington, whose career reached over a span of fifty years was mostly known for composing thousands of influential songs. As well as constituting into jazz an ensemble of western sounds which was referred to as “American Music”. This iconic figure has left a mark in the world of jazz for centuries to come.
...Hubbard, Lee Morgan, and the greatest jazz player of this decade. Wynton Marsalis. He treated them as equals, and always let them know how special they were. He liked to share experiences and story's with his bands. He played life by the rules and laid off the drugs and alcohol that cost so many jazz musicians before him their careers, and/or their lifers.
Armstrong is not only a trumpet player, as a singer, he is also very successful. For many years, jazz lovers tried in ecstasies to imitate his unique voice and scat singing, which was nonsense but with a rhythm. Armstrong was the first to successfully use scat singing, which eventually became a major feature of jazz concerts. His singing method affected almost every jazz singer, including Coypin Crosby in the 1940s, the most charismatic singer in jazz history Billie Holly and Frank Sinatra. Of course, Armstrong's achievements in jazz music could not be summarized by the above description.
It is impossible to think about the influence of jazz without thinking of Miles Davis. He was a game changer and innovator who altered the direction of jazz and transformed the musical landscape more than once. Miles Davis changed the course of jazz in result of his experience with oppression and prejudice. He represented a model for future musicians, and granted listeners a glance into the world of an oppressed American through his music.
In 1936, Nat made his first recording for Decca, as part of his brother Eddie’s band, the Solid Swingers; however, his time with the band would not last. Later in 1936, Nat left Chicago for Los Angeles, where he would eventually land his big break.
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.
“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
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
NGUYEN, HIEU—12/05/13 Louis Armstrong Hot Five November 12, 1925 Kid Ory plays trombone, Johnny Dodds plays clarinet, Johnny St. Cyr plays banjo, Lil Armstrong plays piano, and Louis Armstrong cornet. In 1920, the Jazz music emerged in the City of New Orleans and from there, there were also many great New Orleans Jazz musicians. Jazz is a music style that combines three main elements: improvisation, bluesy flavor and swing feeling. Often, African Americans play Jazz on the streets of New Orleans and they start to form bands and perform for people without charging them money. In the early history of Jazz, there was one major artist that had major contributions to Jazz, his name was Louis Armstrong.