Louis+Armstrong


 * Featured Artist: Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) **

Armstrong’s Life Often thought of as the greatest jazz musician of all time, Louis Armstrong defined jazz music with his talents, happy spirit, and quick musical abilities. Born in New Orleans, Armstrong learned to play the cornet at a reform school when he was 12. Musician Joe “King” Oliver helped influence Armstrong and gave him his first cornet. When Armstrong was 16, he started performing at dive bars in New Orleans. Two years later in 1919, Armstrong went to St. Louis to join Fate Marable’s band. After a few years with Marable, Armstrong began playing solo gigs on the side, and in 1922 Armstrong’s mentor, Joe Oliver, asked Armstrong to join his Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. Armstrong met and married a woman named Lillian Hardin in 1924 who persuaded him to leave Oliver’s band to use his talents to his fullest ability. He traveled to New York to play with different bands but returned in 1925 to join his wife’s band. Later that year, Armstrong recorded his first records under his own name. Over the next few years, Armstrong played with many bands including Louis Armstrong and his Stompers, Carroll Dickerson’s Savoy Orchestra, Luis Russell Orchestra and Louis Armstrong and his Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra. In 1931, Armstrong and his wife were separated but did not divorce until 1938. After traveling to Europe where he was a huge success, Armstrong returned to the United States and hired manager Joe Glaser. Glaser helped Armstrong create Armstrong's band Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra, which became extremely popular. Armstrong continued touring for the next few years and became known as one of the most famous men in America. On July 6th, 1971, Armstrong died at his home in Queens, New York, while sleeping.

Music and Poetry Influence Armstrong’s talent in jazz music influenced the style of jazz music and its popularity. Armstrong included elements such as creative improvised solos, melody structures that built up to an emotional climax, and a rhythm section including drums, bass, banjo or guitars. His music included fast songs one could swing dance to and slow jazz songs with an emotional tone. His deep, raspy voice helped Armstrong communicate his poetic lyrics often about life, love or God. Armstrong often used repetition, rhyming and imagery in his lyrics. The first six lines of "What a Wonderful World" demonstrate all of these.

I see trees of green, red roses too I see em bloom, for me and for you And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, clouds of white Bright blessed days, dark sacred nights And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The last line of the first stanza is repeated many times throughout the song, the last word in the first two lines of each stanza rhyme, and imagery is easily seen when reading almost any line of the song.

Armstrong's music certainly inspired many jazz artists and non-jazz artists during and after his time. His music is legendary and still appears in movies and television shows today. Although music has contained repetition, rhyming and imagery for many years, Armstrong set the standard for jazz musicians all over the world.