Bix Beiderbecke Research Paper

Born two years apart at the dawn of the 1900s, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke would live and curate what is now known as the world’s most revolutionary period for jazz music. Throughout the 1920s, America’s “Jazz Age” propelled itself as a leading cultural force, a window for musicians and communities to channel the emotion, energy, and empowerment of an era with marked racial equality struggles, economic hardship, and complete social transformation. Two of the era’s most prominent influences, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke, revolutionized the genre with their respective “hot” and “cool” jazz styles. Louis Armstrong’s infectious charisma translates seamlessly into his “Hot Jazz” approach; virtuosic improvisation, spontaneity, and

Contrasting the exuberance of Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke presented a cooler, reflective stylistic approach to jazz. Often incorporating relaxed, classic elements to his music, Beiderbecke’s laid-back approach and defiance of racial discrimination distinguished him as a significant contributor to jazz throughout the 1920s. An alcohol-facilitated death at age 28 contributed to Beiderbecke’s relative obscurity compared to Armstrong, who’s impact spans far past his long, full life as a jazz icon. However, despite their apparent dissimilarity, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke continue to represent two of history’s most influential jazz musicians. Indeed, the intricacies that distinguish the two musicians pay homage to the diversity and nuance that continue to characterize such a revolutionary period of jazz. Louis Armstrong was a New Orleans native, born in a dangerous neighborhood and raised with only a fifth-grade education. He grew up on the back streets of New Orleans, where basic needs were a struggle to

Novel group improvisation techniques, cultural roots, and the ability to record skyrocketed the group’s popularity and influence on the jazz scene. Also popularized by the band was scat singing, a technique Armstrong often used alongside his wide range of tones and ranges. By 1925, Louis Armstrong began to record under his own name for the first time. Louis Armstrong and the Hot Seven (previously His Five) saw significant success, and Armstrong’s prevailing approaches to improvisation and melodic freedom transformed jazz from ensemble-based into a soloist’s genre. A unique musical style wasn’t the only factor involved in Louis Armstrong’s worldwide influence. As an African-American man growing up in the South, Armstrong faced systemic racism and discrimination throughout his life. As he rose to fame in the jazz community, he defied stereotypes and helped open the door for other black musicians to succeed. Armstrong was one of the first black artists to rise to prominence, and he was determined to make his voice heard in support of other black