How Did Louis Armstrong Influence Jazz

Louis Armstrong had a tremendous impact on history of American Jazz. As a trumpeter, singer, and soloist, he had acquired a reputation in his lifetime as “the greatest trumpet player who had ever lived.” His numerous accomplishments, even in an America where African-Americans rarely found success, propelled him to be one of the most notable Jazz musicians.

Armstrong’s story began in 1912, in his hometown of New Orleans. He fired his stepfather’s gun in the air on New Year’s eve, and was immediately arrested and taken to Colored Waif's Home for Boys. There he found a mentor, another highly influential musician known as Joe “King” Oliver. Oliver taught him how to play a cornet, an instrument similar to the trumpet yet also distinctive by its compactness and rounder shape. Armstrong himself recognized the significance of meeting Oliver, saying “if it had not been for Joe Oliver, Jazz would not be what it is today”.

The band was immensely significant as it was the first to bring New Orleans style music up north. In this band, he swiftly became popular with other Chicago musicians. During this period, Armstrong’s southern style influenced other musicians from the south to move north. After a brief stint in New York from 1924 to 1925, in which he switched to the trumpet, he then returned to Chicago. After his return, Louis’s career would reach new heights. Armstrong formed his own band, the Hot Five, and later the Hot Seven. During the period from 1925 to 1928, he would release over 60 records, which are today regarded as some of the most influential records in Jazz history. Furthermore, these recordings helped transform Jazz from ensembles to soloist music. Armstrong also popularized Scat singing in 1926, a type of improvisation that uses the voice as an instrument through wordless