Louis Armstrong Research Paper

Carles’ Anderson

John Valerio

MUSC 140

February 18, 2015 Louis Armstrong, Satchmo Jazz, deemed America’s choice of music reigned in popularity throughout the decades of the late 19th and early 20th century. This style of music eventually expanded into pop, swing, stride, and more. Originating in the 1920s, jazz defined the normality of music at the time. In the city of New Orleans, where Jazz grew, it appealed to the working class of people. New Orleans citizens now could express their grievances, life experiences, and enjoy what would grow to be a very favorable pastime, through song. Louis Armstrong, who would be known as one of the jazz greatest performers to ever grace the face of this earth, was born on August 4, 1901 to a prostitute

The first instrument he would play would be the cornet which was bought with allocated funds loaned to him by the Karnofskys, a Russia-Jewish family, where he had been sent multiple times for his juvenile delinquency, most notable in his record for firing a pistol into the air at a New Year's Eve celebration. He would later shadow the city's frequent brass band parades and listened to older musicians every chance he got, shadowing those such as Bunk Johnson, Buddy Petit, and most importantly Joe 'King' Oliver, who acted as a guide to Armstrong. Armstrong would later play in the brass bands and steamboats of New Orleans, and started traveling with the well noted band of Fate Marable which toured on a steamboat up and down the Mississippi River; which aider in his experience of working with written arrangements. When Joe Oliver left town in 1919, Armstrong took Oliver's place in Kid Ory's band, regarded as the top hot jazz band in the city. Growing in his career Satchmo would move to the city of Chicago, as many people were requesting him to at the

She would be the first out of four wives for Louis. He and Oliver separated in 1924 and Armstrong moved to New York City to play with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. Armstrong switched to the trumpet to tie in better with the other musicians in his section. During this time, he also made many recordings on the side arranged by an old friend from New Orleans, pianist Clarence Williams; these included small jazz band sides and a series of accompaniments.

He returned to Chicago in 1925 and began recording under his own name with his famous Hot Five and Hot Seven, the music of which set the customary and itinerary for jazz. Armstrong's trumpet introduction and use of improvisation rose to the scene. Improvisation, also remaining the most notable part of jazz, as many musicians Black and White could not read music. They would practice constantly and memorize the music and section parts. When the ‘head’ would play it was generally a form of improvisation and greatly appreciated in the history of music as it sparked difference from other music