WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. One of the first many New Orleans style jazz artists is Jelly Roll Morton. He was employed by a Jewish family who encouraged him to sing. 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 soon began dating the female pianist in the band, Lillian Hardin. "What a Wonderful World" peaked on the U.S. music charts after Armstrong passed away. Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. The book was titled Swing That Music. But, as a Bayou State native, Armstrongs favorite dish was always rice and beans. By the '50s, Armstrong was widely recognized, even traveling the globe for the US. The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. In 1972, a year after his death, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. 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. 232) Armstrong unlike other black jazz men and women, was one of the first to be welcomed in the upper echelons of white society. He adds, "He was also more than a jazz musician he was an enormously popular entertainer"(pp. In July, Armstrong sailed to England for a tour. WebLouis Armstrong remains an icon of American history and 20 th century popular culture. If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know. 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. At the start of Armstrongs career, he married Daisy Parker. To earn money, Armstrong sang on street corners, sold newspapers, and delivered coal. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. Study now. Mentored by the citys top cornetist, Joe King Oliver, Armstrong soon became one of the most in-demand cornetists in town, eventually working steadily on Mississippi riverboats. While growing up, Armstrong did assorted jobs for the Karnofskys, a family of Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants. Armstrong continued a grueling touring schedule into the late '50s, and it caught up with him in 1959, when he had a heart attack while traveling in Spoleto, Italy. WebLouis Armstrong was the protean genius that made African American classical music mislabeled as jazz the most important music event of the 20th century. 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. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. When Pops (who adored Thiele and Weiss masterwork) passed away on July 6, 1971, What a Wonderful World seemed destined for stateside obscurity. Louis Armstrong. After completing the optimistic anthem, songwriters Bob Thiele and George David Weiss thought that Tony Bennett would eat it right up. What a Wonderful World struck a chord with moviegoers and was re-released that year, becoming an oft-requested radio hit. However, had his upbringing been different, his musical talents may never have been established to grow and thrive into one of the most internationally influential jazz musicians ever. Meanwhile, Armstrong's reputation as a musician continued to grow: In 1918, he replaced Oliver in Kid Ory's band, then the most popular band in New Orleans. 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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. He fused the jazz style of the place where he grew up with well known jazz of Broadway to coordinate a better than ever kind of jazz. 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. WebDid You Know? The many years of constant touring eventually wore down Armstrong, who had his first heart attack in 1959 and returned to intensive care at Beth Israel Hospital for heart and kidney trouble in 1968. 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. The first important trend in New York Jazz was Hot Jazz that was an incendiary style introduced by Louis Armstrong (Winfield 170). As a trumpet virtuoso, his playing, beginning with the 1920s studio recordings he made with his Hot Five and Hot Seven ensembles, charted a future for jazz in highly imaginative, emotionally charged improvisation. His music was a happiness to individuals and they said he was a gift sent from heaven. 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. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. 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). 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. He influenced other jazz musicians by his fearless trumpet styles and distinctive vocals. Armstrong put his career in Glaser's hands and asked him to make his troubles disappear. She pushed her husband to cut ties with his mentor and join Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, the top African American dance band in New York City at the time. Armstrong spent his youth singing on the street for spare change, but he didnt receive any formal musical training until age 11. His career rose in New Orleans. Louis Armstrong is considered a hero for many reasons. Louis began playing at a young age when he was growing up in New Orleans. It was also for Columbia that Armstrong scored one of the biggest hits of his career: His jazz transformation of Kurt Weill's "Mack the Knife. This led some to alter his long-time nickname, Satchmo, to "Ambassador Satch.". Outraged, Armstrong refused to stage another concert within the state's borders. The record was released in 1964 and quickly climbed to the top of the pop music charts, hitting the No. 2012-02-22 18:06:07. But Armstrong also became an enduring figure in popular music due to his distinctively phrased baritone singing and engaging personality, which were on display in a series of vocal recordings and film roles. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901. The lights dim, and the velvet curtains slide open. How did Louis Armstrong influence others? In the 1980s and '90s, younger African American jazz musicians like Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis and Nicholas Payton began speaking about Armstrong's importance, both as a musician and a human being. Willies habit of devoting all his attention to his second, Because firing guns to welcome in the New Year was a New Orleans custom, he thought (even at 11 years old) that it would be morally acceptable to fire the gun. A few weeks later after his birth his father leaves his mother alone with a family. Armstrong could make an audience cheer, but Roy Eldridge, made those top and bottom notes feel like a natural part of what the horn should do (Friedwald 21). Today, these are generally regarded as the most important and influential recordings in jazz history; on these records, Armstrong's virtuoso brilliance helped transform jazz from an ensemble music to a soloist's art. You might be able to buy a little better booze than the wino on the corner. 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. There, under the tutelage of Peter Davis, he learned how to properly play the cornet, eventually becoming the leader of the Waifs Home Brass Band. Why was Louis Armstrong so important? Why was Louis Armstrong important to New Orleans? Louis was arrested by Police When he was eleven. While he still had to work odd jobs selling newspapers and hauling coal to the city's famed red-light district, Armstrong began earning a reputation as a fine blues player. 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. In 1922, his mentor, King Oliver, invited him to work his Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. Blessed with, Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901. The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic, American actress, singer, director, producer. The bottom line of any country in the world is what did we contribute to the world? (She was the second of his four wives.) 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. 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. It's also worth noting that even though he brought it into popularity, Armstrong in no way invented the technique, which dates back to at least 1906. Fletcher Henderson also influenced jazz music. Armstrong spent much of that year at home, but managed to continue practicing the trumpet daily. See answer (1) Best Answer. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. Nobody did what Louis could do. 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. Louis did his first performance on stage in 1930 to spread his Jazz style. Seems to me it ain't the world that's so bad but what we're doing to it, and all I'm saying is: see what a wonderful world it would be if only we'd give it a chance. Armstrong was brought up by his mother, Mary (Albert) Armstrong, and his maternal grandmother. The most important and influential musician in jazz history, and one of the leading singers and entertainers from the 1920s through the '50s. He was known for both his joyous ways with the trumpet and his peculiarly touching and funny vocal style. During this period, Armstrong set a number of African American "firsts." In April, he reached the charts with his first vocal recording, "Big Butter and Egg Man," a duet with May Alix. He was a master of the trumpet and cornet, and his style of playing was unique and instantly recognizable. He performed in Europe for the first time in 1932 and returned in 1933, staying for over a year because of a damaged lip. Why was Louis Armstrong important to the Harlem Renaissance? Louis gave jazz music a purpose. He was one of the most influential figures in jazz music. Famous for his innovative methods of playing the trumpet and cornet, he was also a highly talented singer, blessed with a powerful gravelly voice. Known for his improvisation, Armstrong could induce dramatic effects with his music. .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S LOUIS ARMSTRONG FACT CARD. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. Glaser did just that; within a few months, Armstrong had a new big band and was recording for Decca Records. Louis Armstrong, nicknamed "Satchmo," "Pops" and, later, "Ambassador Satch," was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. On New Years Eve 1912, he was arrested and sent to the Colored Waifs Home for Boys. On New Year's Eve in 1912, Armstrong fired his stepfather's gun in the air during a New Year's Eve celebration and was arrested on the spot. Armstrong fought back, but for many young jazz fans, he was regarded as an out-of-date performer with his best days behind him. WebLouis Armstrongas a musician, as a man, as an icon. Louis Armstrong used to give away laxatives as gifts. 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). Armstrongs unique singing and masterful improvisation transitioned jazz from the traditional style to a newer, more rhythmic style. They treat me better all over the world than they do in my hometown, he said. 1 hit around the world, including in England and South Africa, and eventually became one of Armstrong's most-beloved songs after it was used in the 1986 Robin Williams film Good Morning, Vietnam. Then, at the age of five, he was returned to the care of his mother, who at the time worked as a laundress. Louis Armstrong is famous for his stunning jazz performance, unique vocals, and amazing styles with the trumpet/cornet. He was a groundbreaking musician and a pioneer in the development of jazz music. 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. Its popularity brought many people together, even through the years of racial discrimination and the Great Depression. What was Louis Armstrongs childhood like? In 1918, he married Daisy Parker, a prostitute, commencing a stormy union marked by many arguments and acts of violence.