Louis Armstrong -part 1

An imcomprable figure in the history of jazz, Armstrong played wit an unprecedented virtuosity and bravura. In the early 1920s, he shifted the emphasis of jazz from ensemble playing to a soloist's art form, while setting new standards for trumpeters worldwide.
The sheer brilliance of his playing is best exemplified by his epochal masterworks from the 1920s, such as "Potato Head blues,", "West And Blues", "Hotter than that", "TIght like this", "Cornet Chop Suey" and"Weather Bird"- all marked by a passionate, robust attack , dramatic, slashing breaks and a remarkable flexibility and range.As Miles Davis put it "You can;t play anything on your horn that Louis hasn't already played".

Born in New Orleans on 4 august 1901, Armstrong began playing cornet after being sent to the Colored Waif;s Home in 1913.Nicknamed "Dippermouth" or "Satchelmouth" because of this wide, toothy grin, Armstrong came up playing in parade bands, in bars around Storyville and on steamboad excursion with Fate Marable. In late 1918, he replaced his mentor King Oliver in Kid Ory's band and honed his skills in that outfit for the next few years. On 8 august 1922, Armstrong joined King oliver Creole Jazz band in Chicago, where he caused an immediate stir at Lincoln Gardens. Louis made his recording devut on 6 april 1923(soloing" Chimes Blues"); he remained with Olivers's band throuhout that year before moving to New york in early 1924 to join Fletcher Hendersn's band during its residency at the Roseland Ballroom.

The twenties

The Roaring twenties, or Jazz age, was a time of great economic prosperity and extravagance in America. Consumerism reigned and an increasing number of people had access to cars and other luxury goods.Advances in recording technology and the rise of the radio brought the music of the day into people's homes.

Jazz enjoyed widespread popularity and its artists became major stars.The rise of Hollywood and Tin pan Alley added to the sense of glamour and excitement, and to the general feeling that America was several pacea ahead of the rest of the world.

The great migration of laboureers from the South to the northern cities, in search of better wages and new beginnings, reached its peak. This further enabled the absorption nof African American music genres into the mainstream, as migrants brought with them the sounds of their homelands.

Clarence Williams