The J is for Jazz series is a trip through the alphabet looking at the major personalities and styles that have marked the music's first century.

Now, the legendary Louis Armstrong.

It is impossible to imagine jazz or twentieth century popular music as we know it without the contributions of Louis Armstrong.   

Armstrong rose to fame in the 1920s and remained an international celebrity until his death in 1971, a month shy of his 70th birthday. Initially known for his trumpet playing, it was his signature warm, gravelly voice that is instantly recognizable to music fans around the globe.

Be it his profound contributions as a trumpet player to the advancement of jazz improvisation, his joyful liberation of the relatively square interpretations of popular songs by the vocalists of his day, his gift for sharing an infectious happiness through performance, or the graceful and dignified manner with which he rose above the scourge of racism, Armstrong altered the course of music.

 

Armstrong was one of the first black performers to reach a wide popular appeal. His fame gave him access to all strata of American society.

As for Armstrong’s recordings (and there are thousands of them), all roads eventually lead to the early classics with his groups the Hot Five and the Hot Seven. However, a good beginner’s guide is the critically acclaimed set Armstrong recorded in the mid-1950s, Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy.

Those who’ve embarked down this path soon see that you could spend the rest of your life listening to Armstrong’s recordings, watching videos of his performances, reading the many books that have been written about him and attending festivals devoted to his music. 

However, no matter how deeply you explore Armstrong’s life and work, I’ll bet you’ll agree that his story is one of the great tales about the triumph of the human spirit in the face of great adversity.

What aspects of jazz would you like to explore? Let us know at jazz@cbc.ca

Related links:

When jazz meets hip-hop
Miles Davis goes postal
The jazz community welcomes you to CBC Music

posted by D.C. Ward on Jan 31, 2012