Louis Armstrong born 4 August 1901

[Guest]

There was quite a lot of coverage of Barack Obama's 50th birthday a couple of days ago, but it seems to slipped people's attention that America's first African-American president and the first great jazz musician share a birthday. So, slightly belatedly, Happy Birthday, Louis!

Here's a good piece on him: Why Louis Armstrong is still the greatest.

What is all too easily forgotten in any discussion about Armstrong is the simple fact that he was the single most revolutionary exponent of the most revolutionary music of the Twentieth Century. Long before he became the jovial entertainer the world remembers, he almost single-handedly created jazz as we know it today.

[salymap]

There was quite a lot of coverage of Barack Obama's 50th birthday a couple of days ago, but it seems to slipped people's attention that America's first African-American president and the first great jazz musician share a birthday. So, slightly belatedly, Happy Birthday, Louis!

Here's a good piece on him: Why Louis Armstrong is still the greatest.

Like others he suffered for becoming too popular. I had some 78s of his jazz as a kid before he became 'the popular entertainer. Sorry to trespass on your Jazz boards. Bye

[Serial_Apologist]

Like others he suffered for becoming too popular. I had some 78s of his jazz as a kid before he became 'the popular entertainer. Sorry to trespass on your Jazz boards. Bye

Feel welcome here anytime, saly! This place is much less disputatious than elsewhere, if you want to stick around; bit of an anorak's paradise too, mind!

[salymap]

Afternoon S_A, I will confess to listening to Jazz Library too. For one thing it cuts through my tinnitus much better that Mozart does at the moment. Some good stuff there.

[Serial_Apologist]

Afternoon S_A, I will confess to listening to Jazz Library too. For one thing it cuts through my tinnitus much better that Mozart does at the moment. Some good stuff there.

Good one today, saly. Better than Jazz Record Requests - that's for the oldies!

(Lights touch-paper and scarpers!)

[PatrickOD]

So, slightly belatedly, Happy Birthday, Louis!

A welcome reminder.
I don't need much persuasion that Louis is still the greatest. My one great regret is that I did not move heaven and earth to make the trip to Dublin in the 50s to see and hear him.
While I admire him for his astounding trumpet playing, I don't share the view that he 'suffered' from becoming too popular. I rather believe that it is a mark of his genius that he could move into the popular field and triumph there too - with or without his trumpet. Whether it's Hello Dolly, A Wonderful World , the poignant All the Time in the World or even reciting The Night Before Christmas, he brought a freshness, sincerity and utter professionalism to whatever he did. Those who only know him from his popular hits have got a very good bargain indeed; I am fortunate that I already loved his jazz output before I 'rediscovered' him.
I've already decided that Potato Head Blues (Hot 7) is in my all-time, all-genres, top 5, and I've posted it previously, so I have picked a random number to mark this occasion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyxJy2jduIA

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

...if i might say so, the more i listen to him the more i feel the genius never left .... sure he did a lot of Dolly stuff, but this for me is just wonderful and so is this


as Wynton Marsalis once said on that wonderful programme JAZZ FILE [of beloved memory] Armstrong's later playing had a poetic expression that no other trumpet player approached, a raw very emotional voice too often or too easily dismissed a a loss of chops ....

[burning dog]

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

thanks for that burning dog ....hit the spot this morning

[StephenO]

One of the greatest musicians, in any genre, of the Twentieth Century. Recently treated myself to a four-CD set of his Hot Fives and Sevens - a treasure trove of genius! A belated Happy Birthday, Louis.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

..there are some excellent Armstrong tracks to hear on Clive Heath's great site; the Armstrong is the 1940 band with Bechet and Singleton ...

[PatrickOD]

Thanks for that CDJ. This site came up previously and I neglected to bookmark it. I have now remedied that and I can see that I have a few hours of listening to look forward to - many old favourites and some I'm not so familiar with. A geat site indeed.

[johncorrigan]

..there are some excellent Armstrong tracks to ear on Clive Heath's great site; the Armstrong is the 1940 band with Bechet and Singleton ...

Thanks Calum - I've been fair enjoying a morning at work accompanied by this rather excellent site - particularly enjoyed Blind Willie Dunn's Gin Bottle Four - some very fine guitar in there.....after I finish here I think I'll head for here. http://www.redhotjazz.com/gin.html


........and a belated happy birthday to Louis....truly one of a kind.