Since New Orleans style jazz known to man, it was one of the broadest genres of jazz. These views changed in 1957, when Armstrong saw the Little Rock Central High School integration crisis on television. Sources: After a successful engagement in Las Vegas, Armstrong began taking engagements around the world, including in London and Washington, D.C. and New York (he performed for two weeks at New York's Waldorf-Astoria). In 1924, Armstrong married Hardin, who urged Armstrong to leave Oliver and try to make it on his own. 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. One day, they even advanced him the $5 he used to buy his very first horn. 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. 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. Louis Armstrong was important in the 1920's because he put a whole new meaning to jazz. He has many nicknames in which some are Satchmo and Pops. 232) Armstrong unlike other black jazz men and women, was one of the first to be welcomed in the upper echelons of white society. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song. Louis Armstrong By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 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. A few weeks later after his birth his father leaves his mother alone with a family. Why does Louis Armstrong sound like that Louis Armstrong is one of the most important jazz figures. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. Given that Armstrong was only 11, it was (one of) his stepfathers who was responsible for the whole series of events. Why was Louis Armstrong so important? This essay will have an introduction of the king of jazz music -- Louis Armstrong and his great influence on jazz history. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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). When Louis Armstrong was placed in a boys home as a young boy, he was presented with the opportunity to play the cornet. At His Majestys command, several of the biggest names in jazz took their talents to Buckingham Palace, and in 1932, Armstrong was requested for a royal performance. 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. Also in 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie with his turn in. 1. He recorded several songs throughout his career, including he is known for songs like "Star Dust," "La Vie En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World. He was also a frequent presence on radio, and often broke box-office records at the height of what is now known as the "Swing Era. His career spanned many decades, from the 1920s to his death in 1971, and many different eras in jazz. There were many jazz musicians. Within a span of three years, Armstrong recorded over sixty records. By that point, Armstrong began dating the pianist in the band, Lillian Hardin. Louis Armstrong was important in the 1920's because he put a whole new meaning to jazz. 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. Armstrong's charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. You have arrived to one of the most grand occasions of the year, dressed in your fanciest attire with a hundred watt smile gracing your lips. Related. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. Louis Armstrong is considered a hero for many reasons. He is a husky singer, often with a trumpet in his hand. One of the first soloists on record, Louis was at the forefront of changing jazz from ensemble-oriented folk music into an art form that emphasized inventive solo improvisations. The book was titled Swing That Music. Louis Armstrong Musician Facts | Mental Floss He 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.. See answer (1) Best Answer. Why was Louis Armstrong important to New Orleans? He dropped out of school at 11 to join an informal group, but on December 31, 1912, he fired a gun during a New Year's Eve celebration, and was sent to reform school. Armstrong spent his youth singing on the street for spare change, but he didnt receive any formal musical training until age 11. Changing jazz into what was once known as a ensemble music to soloist art. Similarly, many of his most influential recordings, like 1928's "West End Blues" and 1955's "Mack the Knife," have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Louis Armstrong, nicknamed "Satchmo," "Pops" and, later, "Ambassador Satch," was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He was taken under the wing of cornetist Joe "King" Oliver, and when Oliver moved to Chicago in June 1918, Armstrong replaced him in the Kid Ory Band. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. 2012-02-22 18:06:07. His stop-time solos on numbers like "Cornet Chop Suey" and "Potato Head Blues" changed jazz history, featuring daring rhythmic choices, swinging phrasing and incredible high notes. To grasp how much the man adored this entre, consider that he often signed his personal letters with Red Beans and Ricely Yours.. 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. The bottom line of any country in the world is what did we contribute to the world? He returned to Chicago in the spring of 1932 to front a band led by Zilner Randolph; the group toured around the country. His lips were still sore, and there were still remnants of his mob troubles and with Lil, who, following the couple's split, was suing Armstrong. 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. In addition Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes., On the 26th day of December in 1788 there was a very great success. Featuring young geniuses such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, the younger generation of musicians saw themselves as artists, not as entertainers. According to this document, the performers actual birth date was August 4, 1901. The man was Louis Armstrong. The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. Louis Armstrong was an outstanding jazz musician during the Harlem Renaissance Era. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901. 34-56 107th Street, Queens, NY 11368 718-478-8274 2023 Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th Street, Queens, NY 11368 718-478-8274, The Louis Armstrong House Museum is a constituent of the. Louis was arrested by Police When he was eleven. 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. 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 Daniel (Louie) Armstrong is perhaps the most important and influential person in the history of jazz music, swing music, and jazz vocal styling. 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). 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. The letters, dated as far back as 1968, prove that Armstrong had indeed always believed Sharon to be his daughter, and that he even paid for her education and home, among several other things, throughout his life. Here are 10 facts about the life of one of the 20th century's most important jazz musicians. The 1930s also found Armstrong achieving great popularity on radio, in films, and with his recordings. As swing and jazz was dominant as the pop music of the early 20th century, his influence is also evident in the transition from swing and jump blues into rock and roll. Louis Armstrong was a jazz trumpeter, bandleader and singer known for songs like "What a Wonderful World, Hello, Dolly, Star Dust and "La Vie En Rose.. Who Is Louis Armstrong And Why Is He Important To Jazz Music? Though he had finally spoken out after years of remaining publicly silent, he received criticism at the time from both Black and white public figures. He also began singing on these recordings, popularizing wordless "scat singing" with his hugely popular vocal on 1926's "Heebie Jeebies.". It won him a Grammy for best vocal performance. They danced to the jazz music with a whole new style. In 1922, King Oliver sent for Armstrong to join his band in Chicago. He began touring the country in the 1940s. Back in America in 1935, Armstrong hired Joe Glaser as his manager and began fronting a big band, recording pop songs for Decca, and appearing regularly in movies. Armstrong was still a popular attraction around the world in 1963, but hadn't made a record in two years. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. That same year, he became the first African American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie with his turn in Pennies from Heaven, starring Bing Crosby. Louis Armstrong: History & Major Accomplishments He performed in Europe for the first time in 1932 and returned in 1933, staying for over a year because of a damaged lip. Armstrong continued to tour extensively, despite a heart attack in June 1959. 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! (Armstrong did not function as a bandleader in the usual sense, but instead typically lent his name to established groups.) He influenced other jazz musicians by his fearless trumpet styles and distinctive vocals. Louis Armstrongs significance and most famous songs In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography. Louis Armstrong was to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy | National Portrait Gallery The year is 1954. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important - 1689 Words | Cram Louis's Father left him around childbirth, and his mother often used prostitution for money. 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. Armstrong had a great influence on Henderson and his arranger, Don Redman, both of whom began integrating Armstrong's swinging vocabulary into their arrangementstransforming Henderson's band into what is generally regarded as the first jazz big band. Louis Armstrong is famous for his stunning jazz performance, unique vocals, and amazing styles with the trumpet/cornet. Coupled with his astonishing performing skills and charismatic stage presence, Armstrong took the world by storm and popularized jazz as we know it today. His greatest inspiration was Joe King Oliver. In fifth grade, while being taken care of by his maternal grandmother most of the time, he left school to work. Armstrong's new manager, Joe Glaser, organized a big band for him that had its premiere in Indianapolis on July 1, 1935; for the next several years, he toured regularly. Armstrong continued to appear in major films with the likes of Mae West, Martha Raye and Dick Powell. They also encouraged him to sing and often invited him into their home for meals. He made his first recordings with Oliver on April 5, 1923; that day, he earned his first recorded solo on "Chimes Blues.". He was a master of the trumpet and a skilled improviser, and his style of playing influenced many other jazz musicians. With the decline of swing music in the post-World War II years, Armstrong broke up his big band and put together a small group dubbed His All-Stars, which made its debut in Los Angeles on August 13, 1947. Dancers loved Hendersons music making Louis Armstrong a celebrity so when he left his old band, this would be a step up. His charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. 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. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) - BlackPast.org 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. Nobody did what Louis could do. Why Louis Armstrong was important? Stwnews.org Perhaps most importantly, the letters also detail Armstrong's fatherly love for Sharon. Why He moved to the Fate Marable band in the spring of 1919, staying with Marable until the fall of 1921. Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. Despite failing to make a new record for two years, Armstrong remained a fan favorite. Together, Armstrong and Hines formed a potent team and made some of the greatest recordings in jazz history in 1928, including their virtuoso duet, "Weather Bird," and "West End Blues.". Mozart had written over 600 pieces of works, many acknowledged his pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. 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. 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. He faced tremendous adversity, ignorance and hatred in his life, and fought back without sinking to the level of those who opposed him. Jelly Roll, Doctor Jazz, Original Jelly Roll Blues, and many other famous pieces. Jazz is a genre of music that brought a whole community of people together. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans Louisinana, to Mayann, and Willie Armstrong. Louis does a really important trip to Africa this were the states or cities that he went with Cameroon, the Belgian Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone Jul 6, 1971. The sadest event Two days after his birthday of turning 70, Louis Related. 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.". Why he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. Armstrong and Oliver became the talk of the town with their intricate two-cornet breaks and started making records together in 1923. By the summer of 1970, Armstrong was allowed to perform publicly again and play the trumpet. With his infectious smile and raspy voice, Louis Armstrong (who actually pronounced his own name "Lewis") won over fans worldwide. He is also the first African American celebrity to appear in a major Hollywood movie. Clarence, who had become mentally disabled from a head injury he had suffered at an early age, was taken care of by Armstrong his entire life. BenFred: Cardinals are cranking volume up on star prospect Jordan 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. Louis Armstrong was the most important and influential musician in jazz history. Fletcher Henderson also influenced jazz music. He showed an early interest in music, and a junk dealer for whom he worked as a grade-school student helped him buy a cornet, which he taught himself to play. 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. To earn money, Armstrong sang on street corners, sold newspapers, and delivered coal. For the first time, Armstrong was really able to demonstrate his unique voice during those recording sessions. He was born into poverty on August 4, 1901 in the streets of Back o Town (Meckna). Though Armstrong was content to remain in New Orleans, in the summer of 1922, he received a call from Oliver to come to Chicago and join his Creole Jazz Band on second cornet. One of the most important figures in 20th century music, Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist are widely recognized today, and will continue to be for decades to come. 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. Previously, Armstrong had performed throughout Europe, Asia, and Africathough he famously canceled a planned 1957 Soviet Union tour, citing the recent Little Rock crisis. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. Since his death, Armstrong's stature has only continued to grow. He was known for both his joyous ways with the trumpet and his peculiarly touching and funny vocal style. he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. After completing the optimistic anthem, songwriters Bob Thiele and George David Weiss thought that Tony Bennett would eat it right up. Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy WebRather than appealing simply to the crowd of already established jazz lovers, Louis Armstrong was effective at bridging the gap and reaching out to those that may not have been as familiar with the genre and effectively serving as one of the best ambassadors that the jazz world has ever known. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. The civil rights movement was growing stronger with each passing year, with more protests, marches and speeches from African Americans wanting equal rights. Why Louis Armstrong was important? Armstrong decided to take some time off soon after the incident, and spent much of 1934 relaxing in Europe and resting his lip. 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. His rise to the top, though not overnight, occurred quickly, he played with mostly all the major bands in New Orleans over the next few years (Friedwald 350). He made his film debut in Ex-Flame, released at the end of 1931. An early job working for the Jewish Karnofsky family allowed Armstrong to make enough money to purchase his first cornet. In 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography, Swing That Music. 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. Armstrong's daring vocal transformations of these songs completely changed the concept of popular singing in American popular music, and had lasting effects on all singers who came after him, including Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. LOUIS ARMSTRONG Shortly thereafter, Armstrong bragged about the child to his manager, Joe Glaser, in a letter that would later be published in the book Louis Armstrong In His Own Words (1999). Seeing "the writing on the wall," Armstrong scaled down to a smaller six-piece combo, the All Stars; personnel would frequently change, but this would be the group Armstrong would perform live with until the end of his career. 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. His influence, both as an artist and cultural icon, is universal and is still relevant today. I think to myself, what a wonderful world. But you get sick just like the next cat and when you die you're just as graveyard dead as he is. From 1925 to 1928, Armstrong made more than 60 records with the Hot Five and, later, the Hot Seven. His music had had a major effect on "swing" and the big band sound. At the mention jazz music, that person will first think of is likely to be a great figure with a clown image, nicknamed Satchmo. He was often left with his grandmother, and left school in fifth grade to start working. Louis Armstrong Not a single jazz musician who had previously criticized him took his side but today, this is seen as one of the bravest, most definitive moments of Armstrong's life. In September, his recording of that song entered the charts, becoming a Top Ten hit. He spread jazz throughout the world. 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. To many young jazz listeners at the time, Armstrong's ever-smiling demeanor seemed like it was from a bygone era, and the trumpeter's refusal to comment on politics for many years only furthered perceptions that he was out of touch.