Louis Armstrong is inarguably one of the brightest musicians of the twentieth century, and even people without significant expertise in genres correctly associate him with jazz. The jazzman’s life was full of interesting and pivotal moments, and his striving to craft and perform better compositions made him an inspiring figure for younger artists, such as Ralph Ellison (Ellison 14). Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901, in Orleans, Louisiana, in a period when jazz had evolved yet was not popular yet (Lefkovitz 2). By the age of seventeen, the future jazzman learned to play cornet, realized that music was his true passion, and joined the Kid Ory band, which determined his career course. In 1922, famous cornetist King Oliver invited Armstrong to play the second cornet, and their duet passages made the latter recognizable among other musicians (Lefkovitz 6). However, the most notable compositions were written and performed by the jazzman during his solo career, which he started soon.
Louis Armstrong switched to the cornetto trumpet, and his early solo compositions, such as “Hot Five” and “Wild Man Blues,” revealed that the new instrument was a perfect fit for his talent. The jazzman developed his own style with swing and contagious melodies throughout the next decade, which were then inherited by jazz players nationwide (Lefkovitz 21). The notable compositions of this period were “Weather Bird” and “Hotter than That,” played with accompany of a pianist. In 1935, Armstrong’s career was enriched by his participation in films, radio programs, and tours with different bands. His most notable movie appearances were in New Orleans in 1947 and Hello, Dolly! In 1969. Armstrong died in 1971, and although his four marriages did not result in having children, his musical heritage is truly valuable. He was an innovator and evangelist of jazz and developed an image of an artist who could go beyond composing and performing.
Work Cited
Lefkovitz, Aaron. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis: A Twentieth-Century Transnational Biography. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.