(pic by uncommonreality)
I’m listening to Louis Armstrong on Pandora. The song ‘Dream a little Dream’ that he sings with Ella Fitzgerald.
The Louis Armstrong channel is one of the main channels I play lately. Recently for the holidays, my in-laws bought us an Alexa by Amazon, so they could communicate by sight with my daughter more often, so she would remember who they were. And on this device, I often I ask for songs from Louis Armstrong. I like the Pandora channel better because not only does it play Armstrong, but it plays other older jazz, and some French jazz. I like that Pandora helps me learn about new (or old musicians). Alexa is not as diverse. It plays mostly duets by Louis and Ella, as I mentioned. I never realized how many songs they sang together.
But take away Ella, and take away the lovely French jazz, then there is Louis, a trumpet, and his perfectly imperfect raspy, and quite recognizable voice. There’s something both romantic and edgy about it at the same time. Lately his music has been relaxing me. I move and sway to his trumpet, and wonder what wonderful sight a painting of his voice would look like. I knew that Armstrong must have had a long career because of the styles of songs he sings and the people, from different eras I have heard him sing with. So on this, the first day of Black History Month (even though this post probably won’t get out today) I will begin a Black History Series, starting with Louis Armstrong. I’ve been reminding myself, there are musical biographies, which is a genre I have never read, and that I would like to read a book about Armstrong someday. So, I thought I could pull up a little info about him and we can both learn together, if you don’t already know, which you might.
Louis Armstrong was born Louis Daniel Armstrong to Mary Albert and William Armstrong in 1901 in New Orleans, in which he was also raised. He spent his youth in poverty in a rough neighborhood. While Armstrong was a boy, doing odd jobs he was introduced to jazz. He first heard what were called spasm bands, groups that played music out of household objects. Then he heard early sounds of jazz bands that played from brothels and jazz clubs where King Oliver, who would become Armstrong’s mentor, preformed. Louis worked for a Lithuanian Jewish family who treated him like family. From a young age Armstrong noticed that this Jewish family was also discriminated against from whites as he was. The father of that family adviser Louis about buying his first cornet from a pawn shop. Louis dropped out of school at the age of 11 and started playing in a quartet of boys who sang in the streets for money.
Armstrong started playing in brass bands and riverboats in New Orleans. At first Armstrong didn’t know how to read music, but the riverboat experience helped him learn. Armstrong showed a unique personality and style from a young age. He was invited by King Oliver, whom I mentioned earlier, to join him in Chicago playing in his Creole Jazz Band in 1922, which gave him enough money to work as a full-time musician. After networking in Chicago Armstrong moved to New York and joined the Fletcher Henderson Band.
Armstrong’s voice was described as gravely, which I think is a great description. He was a great singer, an influential trumpeter and cornetist. What I didn’t know was that Armstrong was a great scat singer, a composer and that he acted. I didn’t necessarily know but could have figured that he had a colorful and charismatic personality and was known to tell tales.
(pic by dw.com)
I don’t like when people feed me information about a person of color or woman from history without telling me about how the person lived in the time and place, they were in, and how they responded to the things that were going on. Armstrong was what they called a “crossover” singer, that is, whose skin color became secondary to his music in an America that was extremely racially divided at the time. He rarely publicly politicized his race, often to the dismay of fellow African Americans, but took a well-publicized stand for desegregation in the Little Rock Crisis. His artistry and personality allowed him access to the upper echelons of American society, then highly restricted for black men.
(pic by incolorsclub)
Armstrong died in 1971, having a long career so there were so many things I couldn’t write about, like how did he get his nickname Satchmo, and why he was married, four times. Perhaps I’ll read a biography on him some day, but I have learned a good amount about him for now.
And as I end this post, now the song ‘Cheek to Cheek’, who Louis is singing with Fitzgerald, which I know more as a Billy Holiday song, is playing. Its more cheerful when they sing it. I love Billy Holiday, but I find her to be more sullen. Besides his trumpeting and singing, I think he has a great smile which makes me want to smile as well.
(pic by ebay.com.au)
Here are links to three of my favorite songs Armstrong sings. I danced to “What a Wonderful World” for the Father-Daughter Dance at my wedding (Hey, and don’t worry, I’m not a sexist or traditionalist- I did take the mic from the DJ and asked my mom for a dance in front of everyone as well). I love the song “La Vie en Rose”, even though Armstrong is not its originator. It’s a classic, sung in English and its original, French. Even Lady Gaga has a version. And the third song, “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” has special meaning; it makes me think of the first time I kissed my partner.
What a Wonderful World
La Vie en Rose
A Kiss to Build a Dream On
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