Louis Armstrong

During his early years in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong drew upon the city’s full musical spectrum, followed Joe Oliver in the second lines that accompanied brass bands, played with Kid Ory's Creole Band by age sixteen, and eventually replaced Oliver as Ory's cornetist. His recordings with Oliver's band in 1923 became instant classics, and after joining Fletcher Henderson in New York in 1924, he returned to Chicago in November 1925 for the Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions that moved beyond the New Orleans ensemble style and placed the soloist in the spotlight. His influence on jazz singing was equally pervasive, and he continued recording and performing for the rest of his life, becoming an American cultural icon with hits in every decade from “West End Blues” and “Ain't Misbehavin'” in the 1920s to “Hello Dolly” and “What A Wonderful World” in the 1960s. He also appeared in numerous films, including “New Orleans” with Billie Holiday in 1947 and “High Society” with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly nine years later. Known as “Pops” to musicians and “Satchmo” to his fans, he brought an unequalled joy to jazz performances, uniting artist and entertainer in an indivisible musical personality that won jazz an international audience. He received his first formal training as a youth at the Waif's home, worked on the riverboats from 1918 to 1920, returned after World War Two to the New Orleans combo format with the All Stars, made international State Department tours with that group during the 1950s, and in 1949 was honored as King of Zulu during Mardi Gras and became the first jazz musician to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

New Orleans, Louisiana · United States