why is louis armstrong important

Louis Armstrong was important in the 1920's because he put a whole new meaning to jazz. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. Louis Armstrong was successful in jazz because he learned on his own with daily practice while influencing others with his music by making smiles appear on their face. One of the greatest cornet players in town, Joe "King" Oliver, began acting as a mentor to the young Armstrong, showing him pointers on the horn and occasionally using him as a sub. Louis Armstrong is one of the most important jazz figures. Armstrong was featured nightly on Ain't Misbehavin', breaking up the crowds of (mostly white) theatergoers nightly. He was born into poverty on August 4, 1901 in the streets of Back o Town (Meckna). Wiki User. They saw Armstrong's stage persona and music as old-fashioned and criticized him in the press. He also played as a second trumpet for King Oliver. But, as a Bayou State native, Armstrongs favorite dish was always rice and beans. (She was the second of his four wives.) His career rose in New Orleans. By 1932, Armstrong, who was now known as Satchmo, had begun appearing in movies and made his first tour of England. Pops had a special place in his heart for both Chinese and Italian food. His mother, Mayann, was 15 years old when he was born and his father, Willie, abandoned them soon after. Armstrong joined Henderson in the fall of 1924 and immediately made his presence felt with a series of solos that introduced the concept of swing music to the band. That didnt stop him from living his life like a regular boy. He began to grow artistically and perfected his improvisational method (Jazz Stars 2). When Armstrong saw this as well as white protesters hurling invective at the students he blew his top to the press, telling a reporter that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had "no guts" for letting Faubus run the country, and stating, "The way they are treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell.". The Hot Fives' recording of "Muskrat Ramble" gave Armstrong a Top Ten hit in July 1926, the band for the track featuring Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Lillian Harden Armstrong on piano, and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. 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. His crucial contribution to American and world culture continues to reverberate into the 21 st century. After recording with Oliver for over a year, Armstrong moved into what would become the most important early-jazz big band, Fletcher Hendersons Orchestra (Shipton 201). He subsequently passed, so the duo contacted Armstrong in August 1967. Armstrongs mentor, King Oliver, had Armstrong move to Chicago to be in his band; in Olivers, Aside from the typical cultural, social, and political factors influencing any musicians style, an early life filled with poverty and hardship also shaped Louis Armstrongs musical development. Armstrong practiced his instrument and eventually he became the jazz great everyone knows today. Additionally, he became the first African American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show in 1937, when he took over Rudy Vallee's Fleischmann's Yeast Show for 12 weeks. The song for which Pops is most widely remembered, What a Wonderful World, was almost never his song at all. (Jazz From New Orleans, Jazz music was one of the most popular music genres in the 1920s and 1930s. The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. His distinctive sound and style have had a lasting impact on the genre, and he was a major influence on subsequent generations of jazz musicians. He began touring the country in the 1940s. He returned to Chicago in the spring of 1932 to front a band led by Zilner Randolph; the group toured around the country. In April, he reached the charts with his first vocal recording, "Big Butter and Egg Man," a duet with May Alix. His notoriety for being the best jazz player of his time was secured as Armstrong's arrangement of swing and melodic development opened out and changed Henderson's band and in addition jazz overall. Louis Armstrong is one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. WebDid You Know? No ones quite sure why Armstrong lied about his age, but the most popular theories maintain he wanted to join a military band or that he figured he'd have a better shot at landing gigs if he was over 18 years old. The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. After completing the optimistic anthem, songwriters Bob Thiele and George David Weiss thought that Tony Bennett would eat it right up. The material may show why Armstrong was not just a giant of jazz music, but a civil rights leader as well. He spent the next several years in Europe, his American career maintained by a series of archival recordings, including the Top Ten hits "Sweethearts on Parade" (August 1932; recorded December 1930) and "Body and Soul" (October 1932; recorded October 1930). Then, at the age of five, he was returned to the care of his mother, who at the time worked as a laundress. The single's B-side, and also a chart entry, was "A Kiss to Build a Dream On," sung by Armstrong in the film The Strip. Evidently, the show went well. In the 1950s, he was sometimes criticized for his onstage persona and called an Uncle Tom but he silenced critics by speaking out against the governments handling of the Little Rock Nine high school integration crisis in 1957. WebLouis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). Henderson also forbade Armstrong from singing, fearing that his rough way of vocalizing would be too coarse for the sophisticated audiences at the Roseland Ballroom. Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. That's the secret. However, conditions changed when he was requested to record the title number of a broadway show that went on to become a hit. He didn't own an instrument at this time, 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. He made his film debut in Ex-Flame, released at the end of 1931. Between the two, Armstrong has been the more unsullied figure in historical treatments and biographies. Armstrong played the trumpet so powerfully that he often split his lip. Another one of Armstrongs notable qualities, scat singing (wordless singing/mummering) was also popularized during this. Unhappy, Armstrong left Henderson in 1925 to return to Chicago, where he began playing with his wife's band at the Dreamland Caf. Armstrong's four marriages never produced any children, and because he and wife Lucille Wilson had actively tried for years to no avail, many believed him to be sterile, incapable of having children. Heebie Jeebies and Hotter Than That, was some of the earliest recordings of Armstrongs scat singing., He was a major piece in the history of jazz music and his career lasted for more than 50 years. His music was a happiness to individuals and they said he was a gift sent from heaven. When Pops (who adored Thiele and Weiss masterwork) passed away on July 6, 1971, What a Wonderful World seemed destined for stateside obscurity. At one point in Heebie Jeebiesa 1926 song released by Armstrong and his "Hot Five bandthe singer vocalizes a series of nonsensical, horn-like sounds. He was arrested for firing a pistol in If Armstrong never bought the cornet he would have never become famous. They danced to the jazz music with a whole new style. ", Armstrong signed with Columbia Records in the mid-'50s, and soon cut some of the finest albums of his career for producer George Avakian, including Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. Louis Armstrong used to give away laxatives as gifts. Armstrong's popularity continued to grow in Chicago throughout the decade, as he began playing other venues, including the Sunset Caf and the Savoy Ballroom. Although he is often thought of by the general public as a lovable, clowning personality, a gravel-voiced singer who played simple but dramatic trumpet in a New Orleans-styled Dixieland setting, Armstrong himself was so much more. Flappers were commonly known during this time. With his infectious smile and raspy voice, Louis Armstrong (who actually pronounced his own name "Lewis") won over fans worldwide. Armstrong accepted, and he was soon taking Chicago by storm with both his remarkably fiery playing and the dazzling two-cornet breaks that he shared with Oliver. Beginning in 1919, Armstrong spent his summers playing on riverboats with a band led by Fate Marable. A local Jewish family, the Karnofskys, gave young Armstrong a job collecting junk and delivering coal. Bebop, a new form of jazz, had blossomed in the 1940s. With his daring rhythmic choice, swinging vocabulary, and incredibly high notes; changing jazz history once again. Armstrong felt that being subservient to white people, was an unfortunately necessary evil in order for him to live successfully and happily. Together with his mom, they moved to a better area of New Orleans. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. Armstrong was a busy man, he always had more than one thing going on, if he wasnt recording with Hot Five/Seven, he was performing in the Vendome theatre, playing music for silent movies.. One day, they even advanced him the $5 he used to buy his very first horn. Louis Armstrong was the most important and influential musician in jazz history. Because of Armstrongs brilliance, his records such as Cornet Chop Suey and Potato Head Blues are esteemed because of his risky rhythmic choices and high notes. 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. (Cayton, 462) Armstrong was the king of jazz trumpet players. That same year, he recorded with small New Orleans-influenced groups, including the Hot Five, and began recording larger ensembles. Wiki User. The passion for his music made him become famous because he was following his dreams while finding his, How Is Louis Daniel Armstrong Morally Responsible, Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) grew up in a poor neighborhood nicknamed The Battlefield in New Orleans, Louisiana. The man was Louis Armstrong. Armstrong put his career in Glaser's hands and asked him to make his troubles disappear. In the summer of 1929, Armstrong headed to New York, where he had a role in a Broadway production of Connie's Hot Chocolates, featuring the music of Fats Waller and Andy Razaf. WebLouis Armstrong was the protean genius that made African American classical music mislabeled as jazz the most important music event of the 20th century. "What a Wonderful World" peaked on the U.S. music charts after Armstrong passed away. Armstrong continued to tour extensively, despite a heart attack in June 1959. ", Armstrong's fully healed lip made its presence felt on some of the finest recordings of career, including "Swing That Music," "Jubilee" and "Struttin' with Some Barbecue.". He found that the only way to reap the benefits of success and be protected was if there was a white captain to back you in the old days (Armstrong). He was raised by his mother Mayann in a neighborhood so dangerous it was called The Battlefield. He only had a fifth-grade education, dropping out of school early to go to work. He sang much as he played, but with a playfulness and a rasp, that would forever be part of American culture (Winfield 167). In 1922, his mentor, King Oliver, invited him to work his Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. Mob bosses from New York City and Chicago threatened Louis Armstrong in attempts to control his management contract. It won him a Grammy for best vocal performance. For the first time, Armstrong was really able to demonstrate his unique voice during those recording sessions. Instead of doing strictly jazz numbers, OKeh began allowing Armstrong to record popular songs of the day, including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Star Dust" and "Body and Soul.". The boy's mother, Armstrong's cousin, had died in childbirth. those works included Cotton Tail and Ko-Ko. Some of his most popular songs included "It Don 't Mean a Thing if It Ain 't Got That Swing," "Sophisticated Lady," "Prelude to a Kiss," "Solitude," and "Satin Doll (Duke Ellington Biography). he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. Armstrong had gained sufficient individual notice to make his recording debut as a leader on November 12, 1925. ", Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a neighborhood so poor that it was nicknamed "The Battlefield.". I ain't never heard a horse sing a song. He was by far the most enduringly popular man of all the classical composers, and his influence on following Western art music was very good and intense., Intro He grew up in New Orleans where he introduced to jazz and he went on to spread jazz throughout different cities such as Chicago and New York. Armstrong completed his contract with Decca in 1954, after which his manager made the unusual decision not to sign him to another exclusive contract but instead have him freelance for different labels. This is where Armstrong first fell in love with music; he would listen to people playing any chance that he would get(Tirro). He took up work in Joe (King) Olivers house, doing chores in exchange for musical lessons, developing into a. 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 put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. Show More. WebLouis Armstrong remains an icon of American history and 20 th century popular culture. Louis Armstrong was important in the 1920's because he put a whole new meaning to jazz. Armstrongs improvised solos transformed jazz from an ensemble-based music into a soloists art, while his expressive vocals incorporated innovative bursts of scat singing and an underlying swing feel. Sure enough, he explained, they [published] Heebie Jeebies the same way it was mistakenly recorded. However, most biographers believe that Armstrong made up this anecdote and had planned on scatting all along. A YouTube poster named pandasthumb describes the piece. In 1937, Louis Armstrong became the first African American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show. (Biography.com), Many people knew Louis Armstrong as the first real genius of jazz(Shipton 26). The book was titled Swing That Music. WebAnswer (1 of 2): Armstrongs first brass instrument and initial training was on the cornet, which is generally easier for younger or beginning players to learn and slightly smaller in size. He married Lillian Harden, the pianist in the Oliver band, on February 5, 1924. Instead he used his talent as a ticket to improve his lot and create a meaningful life. The civil rights movement was growing stronger with each passing year, with more protests, marches and speeches from African Americans wanting equal rights. They treat me better all over the world than they do in my hometown, he said. In 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography, Swing That Music. Louis Armstrong is considered a hero for many reasons. When Wilson tired of living out of a suitcase during endless strings of one-nighters, she convinced Armstrong to purchase a house at 34-56 107th Street in Corona, Queens, New York. Legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow followed Armstrong with a camera crew on some of his worldwide excursions, turning the resulting footage into a theatrical documentary, Satchmo the Great, released in 1957. Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of Armstrong moved to Chicago to join Oliver's band in August 1922 and made his first recordings as a member of the group in the spring of 1923. WebLouis Armstrong was the protege of King Oliver and one of the best loved musicians of the Twenties. He was then sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. Armstrong spent the last decade of his life similarly that he had spent the four past enthralling groups of onlookers all through the world., Louis Blues, Overall Armstrong wrote and performed some of the most popular and well known jazz songs of all time. An all-star virtuoso, he came to prominence in the 1920s, influencing countless musicians with both his daring trumpet style and unique vocals. WebHe had a string of pop hits beginning in 1949 and started making regular overseas tours, where his popularity was so great, he was dubbed Ambassador Satch. In America, Armstrong had been a great Civil Rights pioneer, breaking down This newfound popularity introduced Armstrong to a new, younger audience, and he continued making both successful records and concert appearances for the rest of the decade, even cracking the "Iron Curtain" with a tour of Communist countries such as East Berlin and Czechoslovakia in 1965. The year 1956 saw Louisiana prohibit integrated bands. he is important because he was the first black singer. Different from most of his recordings of the era, the song features no trumpet and places Armstrong's gravelly voice in the middle of a bed of strings and angelic voices. He was a master of the trumpet and cornet, and his style of playing was unique and instantly recognizable. While in New York, Armstrong cut dozens of records as a sideman, creating inspirational jazz with other greats such as Sidney Bechet, and backing numerous blues singers including Bessie Smith. However, conditions changed when he was requested to record the title number of a broadway show that went on to become a hit. There was a cheerful impatience in his playing, an optimistic confidence that led him to risk going over the top (Shipton 157). The pistol should have been stored in a locked, Armstrong did not define himself by his background and could have grown up to be just another poor child from a broken home. Thereafter until his death in 1971, however, Armstrong never publicly addressed whether he was in fact Sharon's father. Louis Armstrong was called "the single most important figure in the history of jazz" by Billboard magazine, a publication that tracks the recording industry. You feel butterflies in your stomach as you take your seat. In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography: Swing That Music. 1 slot in May 1964, and knocking the Beatles off the top at the height of Beatlemania. According to Armstrong, that nights biggest laugh came right before his group started playing You Rascal, You. Without warning, he looked straight up at the monarch and hollered, This ones for you, Rex!, Fresh off the wild success of his Hello, Dolly! cover, Armstrong made a trip to communist East Berlin in 1965, where he gave a two-hour concert that earned a standing ovation. "Hotter Than That" was in the Top Ten in May 1928, followed in September by "West End Blues," which later became one of the first recordings named to the Grammy Hall of Fame. A year in New York with Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra proved unsatisfying so Armstrong returned to Chicago in 1925 and began making records under his own name for the first time. While not officially government-sponsored, there are some who believe the concert was arranged by the CIA, which would make this just one of the many taxpayer-funded appearances hed make abroad during the Cold War in an effort to strengthen diplomatic relations overseas. Because of his long improvised solos, he inspired jazz so that long solos became an important part of jazz pieces and performances. At the start of Armstrongs career, he married Daisy Parker. Turns out, he was 13 months off. WebBy the '50s, Armstrong was an established international celebrity--an icon to musicians and lovers of jazz--and a genial, infectiously optimistic presence wherever he appeared. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. Duke Ellingtons sense of musical drama was the one that made him stand out from all of the rest., Armstrong became the best jazz soloist on Broadway (Louis Armstrong 1). He also began appearing in the orchestra of Hot Chocolates, a Broadway revue, and was given a featured spot singing "Ain't Misbehavin'." Finding Yourself, Dropping, Halfway. By the '50s, Armstrong was widely recognized, even traveling the globe for the US. However, Armstrong's southern background didn't mesh well with the more urban, Northern mentality of Henderson's other musicians, who sometimes gave Armstrong a hard time over his wardrobe and the way he talked. The brilliance of his playing, the warmth of his vocals, and his integrity as a human being simply inspires me. Its popularity brought many people together, even through the years of racial discrimination and the Great Depression. He studied music there and played cornet and bugle in the school band, eventually becoming its leader. I think to myself, what a wonderful world. Losing weight proved difficult at first, but his luck changed once he learned of an herbal laxative called Swiss Kriss. The artist promptly went out, bought a box, and became a lifelong spokesman. Reel 163 Louis Armstrong, n.d. https://www.britannica.com/facts/Louis-Armstrong, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1990), jazz: The cornetist breaks away: Louis Armstrong and the invention of swing. 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. WebLouis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). After his time in Colored Waifs Home, he wanted to become a musician. Hes a professional jazz performer who played with Oliver and Henderson. However, controversy regarding Armstrong's fatherhood struck in 1954, when a girlfriend that the musician had dated on the side, Lucille "Sweets" Preston, claimed she was pregnant with his child. The first recording of What a Wonderful World was produced by ABC Records, which made no attempt to advertise it domestically. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Members of the group, at one time or another, included Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines, Sid Catlett, Barney Bigard, Trummy Young, Edmond Hall, Billy Kyle and Tyree Glenn, among other jazz legends. This gift, coupled with Louis Armstrongs already present affinity for the musical sounds of the local New Orleans street bands and brass players that lingered around, helped to brew the perfect storm that would create one of the most prolific players of the 20th century. St. Louis Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker tracks down a flyball during fielding practice at the Cardinals spring training complex in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. During his span, he composed thousands of songs for everyone to hear. These records later went on to become the most influential in jazz history, as it was the first time Armstrong facilitated the evolution of jazz as a ensemble to a soloist art. WebLouis Armstrong was the most important and influential musician in jazz history. He embarked on his first European tour since 1935 in February 1948, and thereafter toured regularly around the world. Armstrong's home in Corona, Queens was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977; today, the house is home to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which annually receives thousands of visitors from all over the world. Louis was arrested by Police When he was eleven. Copy. In December of that year, he was called into the studio to record the title number for a Broadway show that hadn't opened yet: Hello, Dolly! In 16967, Armstrong recorded his most renowned tune, What a Wonderful Word that surprisingly featured no trumpet. His charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. WebLouis Armstrongs ability to use his career to change the music and jazz industry forever is another great example of why Louis Armstrong exhibits the right. With the assistance of the jazz musicians, the music industry, Making his voice sound like a musical instrument and singing nonsense syllables with no words created Scat singing. He is remembered as the most influential artist in the early development of jazz. Pillars of Life 3 y Related Why was jazz so important? Armstrong was arrested at eleven years old for disturbing the peace. For live dates, he appeared with the orchestras led by Erskine Tate and Carroll Dickerson. They were always kind to me, Armstrong once reflected, [I] was just a little kid who could use a little word of kindness. Apart from monetary compensation, Armstrong was given a hot meal every evening and regular invitations to Karnofsky Shabbat dinners. Mozart, in his own traditional ways, the right away he did the first three of his 22 performances at that opera. Outraged, Armstrong refused to stage another concert within the state's borders. His greatest inspiration was Joe King Oliver. By 1968, Armstrong's grueling lifestyle had finally caught up with him. The musician didn't let the incident stop him, however, and after taking a few weeks off to recover, he was back on the road, performing 300 nights a year into the 1960s. (1964), the latter knocking the Beatles off the top of the pop charts at the height of Beatlemania. Louis Armstrong was the first black man in the U.S. to host a radio show. The lights dim, and the velvet curtains slide open. Armstrong made his first trip abroad, to Europe, and received the nickname Satchmo from his original nickname Satchelmouth, because of his big lips. A young pianist from Pittsburgh, Earl Hines, assimilated Armstrong's ideas into his piano playing. WebA jazz pioneer, Louis Armstrong was the first important soloist to emerge in jazz, and he became the most influential musician in the music's history. 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. This essay will have an introduction of the king of jazz music -- Louis Armstrong and his great influence on jazz history. He started as a soloist for Henderson after marrying Lil Hardin. In September, his recording of that song entered the charts, becoming a Top Ten hit. The latter performance is one of Armstrong's best known works, opening with a stunning cadenza that features equal helpings of opera and the blues; with its release, "West End Blues" proved to the world that the genre of fun, danceable jazz music was also capable of producing high art. Throughout the years, jazz musicians have created many new styles, new arrangements, and put this genre of music on the map., He affected the heading of jazz music and spontaneous creation. Related. Louis Armstrong recorded many popular songs like La Vie en Rose, and his theme song When its Sleepy Time Down South. To earn money, Armstrong sang on street corners, sold newspapers, and delivered coal. He faced tremendous adversity, ignorance and hatred in his life, and fought back without sinking to the level of those who opposed him. He was also a gifted singer, and his But many of his recorded performances are masterpieces, and none are less than entertaining. 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. The tune did, however, become a No. In June 1951 he reached the Top Ten of the LP charts with Satchmo at Symphony Hall ("Satchmo" being his nickname), and he scored his first Top Ten single in five years with "(When We Are Dancing) I Get Ideas" later in the year. Contracted to OKeh Records, he began to make a series of recordings with studio-only groups called the Hot Fives or the Hot Sevens. 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. Satch Plays Fats, a tribute to Fats Waller, became a Top Ten LP for Columbia in October 1955, and Verve Records contracted Armstrong for a series of recordings with Ella Fitzgerald, beginning with the chart LP Ella and Louis in 1956. Glaser did just that; within a few months, Armstrong had a new big band and was recording for Decca Records. The records by Louis Armstrong and His Fiveand later, Hot Sevenare the most influential in jazz. Louis Armstrong was an American jazz musician who was one of the most influential figures in jazz music. He also took a series of small parts in motion pictures, beginning with Pennies from Heaven in December 1936, and he continued to record for Decca, resulting in the Top Ten hits "Public Melody Number One" (August 1937), "When the Saints Go Marching In" (April 1939), and "You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)" (April 1946), the last a duet with Ella Fitzgerald.