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"Satchmo": His Life, His Town & the Roots of Jazz
Overview:
Join active Minds as we commemorate the life of the legendary Louis Armstrong. We’ll explore his music and New Orleans in the first two decades of the 20th Century, both of which helped establish Jazz as America’s music. We’ll see what made the great “Satchmo” America’s ambassador to the world. No experience is necessary; but, be prepared to tap your toes.
Key Lecture Points:
• Louis Armstrong (don’t call me “Louie”) was born in New Orleans in 1901 in very poor conditions and without a father. Because of the huge output of music in the city, he decided early on that he wanted to be like his idol, Joe “King” Oliver.
• Everywhere he turned, there was music: on the streets in the clubs and brothels, on river boats, in bars, as well as churches and during funerals. Because of these opportunities, Armstrong while in his teens, had music jobs that kept him busy and taught him to read and improvise music—developing his distinctive improvisational style.
• New Orleans was a crossroads of cultures at the turn of the 20th Century: The Creole, Caribbean, French, Scots/Canadian, African, South American, Cuban and Western European. These influences combined with established and popular “western” instruments (piano, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, tuba) to create the elements of Jazz. Combined with West African drum rhythms and the introduction of the drum set, the perfect coalescence occurred to propel America’s new music to Chicago, St. Louis, New York, San Francisco and all points in between.
• The immense influence played by African Americans cannot be under-stated when it comes to the roots of Jazz. The Blues; slave songs (call and response, field hollers, etc); gospel music; funeral music to (slow) and from( fast and fun) the cemetery; polyrhythm and Swing are all derivatives of the Black cultures that populated the South for centuries.
• Young Louis acquired the nicknames “Satchel Mouth”: (later:”Satchmo”) or “Dipper Mouth” or just plain “Pops”, and as he matured musically he became in great demand for his ability to lead a group. He was call to Chicago by his mentor/friend/idol King Oliver and his career soared. The new sound that was wowing Chicagoans was known as Jass, or Jazz. Wealthy White patrons and gangland figures helped promote the new music. Louis Armstrong was at the leading and cutting edge of that growth for decades as trumpeter and later as a singer.
• Because of the recording industry, Armstrong and Oliver and their counterparts, Kid Ory, Fletcher Henderson, Bix Beiderbecke, King Oliver, Coleman Hawkins and Bessie Smith became hugely popular, although making money at playing music was a constant effort in the 20s and 30s. In 1925 Loius was billed as “The World’s Greatest Trumpet Player,” a status he may have deserved ; but, didn’t match his friendly and modest ego.
• After his permanent move to Queens, New York, he fell in with all the greats of the music industry; including Bing Crosby (who helped promote Armstrong at every opportunity), Duke Ellington and Hoagy Carmichael. His magnetism and perpetual smile dissolved any racial barriers that existed and he became “America’s Ambassador of Music” when he travelled the world singing and playing in his inimitable style. His legacy was accentuated by scores of movies and television appearances and ensured that his legacy is well documented. His home in Queens is now a museum and New Orleans’ International Airport is named after him.
Exploration Questions:
• How did Louis Armstrong contribute to racial equality in the U.S.?
• How is the Blues form continued in popular music?
• How has American Jazz influenced the world of “concert music?”
Reflective Questions:
• In your head, can you hear Louis Armstrong playing and singing a song? What song?
• What is the most memorable part (s) of “ Satchmo” for you?
• Did you ever see him perform live? Did you have his records?
More to Explore:
• The Museum: www.louisarmstronghouse.org/
• Music and movie samples: www.redhotjazz.com
Books For Further Reading:
• Giddings, Gary, Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong (Paperback), Da Capo Press, 2001, 174 pages. "Elegant and affecting. . . a perceptive biography of Louis Armstrong and a sensitive appreciation of his music." Full of interesting pictures and accounts, the text is very well-written and includes prosaic reviews of Armstrong’s recordings and lots of Satchmo’s personal writings. Click here to order.
• Brothers, Thomas, Louis Armstrong's New Orleans (Paperback), W. W. Norton & Company, 2007, 400 pages. Thomas Brothers has managed to dissect and explain complex social and musical interactions in New Orleans as they existed in the years when Louis Armstrong was growing up, coming of age, and learning his way around the horn and the music business. He adroitly explains how the social and cultural climate of New Orleans was exactly right for not only the formation of the music we call jazz, but also how it trickled down from the uptown African-Americans to the downtown Creoles. Click here to order.
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