One man, Daniel Louis Armstrong, gave many people from 1901 to 1971 the gift of music. His life was full of what he loved, and he had opportunities in music that nobody would think of doing at the time. Louis Armstrong had a style all his own. People from all backgrounds and colors loved him. It did not matter where a person came from or what language they spoke, people would come just to hear him play and sing. Armstrong knew how to please a crowd with what he had, and he always performed the best he could. He was given opportunities that took him far in his career as a trumpet player.
He left from New Orleans to Chicago in the year 1922. He arrived at the Chicago train station at about eleven o’clock at night.1 While in Chicago, Louis Armstrong went through many social situations that occurred in his time there. He went through the time of Prohibition, which gave rise to the illicit social environment in which jazz—and his career—flourished.2 This brought on challenges for any jazz player in Chicago during the time because of what was going on in the world. Many of those that would hire jazz players were hoodlums or quasi-hoodlums.3
Louis Armstrong was just getting used to being in Chicago, where he could do anything with his music because he had those opportunities. It took him time to embrace the Windy City fully because for Louis, this was unknown territory for him. Louis had taken their music out of its infancy and given it a powerful breath of new life and independence.4 He flourished in his style of jazz and created something much further than anyone could have thought. He could take any song and make it his own. His whole life he had a love for music, but during this time in Chicago he really started to show what he could do. After some time away from Chicago, he would come back as a solo act at the Regal Theater.5 Even though he had left Chicago for a time, he would always come back to experience the great joy that had brought him there in the first place.
He would do great things by himself, even though he always kept in contact with people he had played with before. He took time to be with his friends and family, playing whether it would be by himself or with bands that were with friends that he had made along the way. He accomplished many things in his lifetime, becoming one of America’s legendary musicians. He was very passionate about his music and he loved to please a crowd. He had a great life filled with many people that praised and loved him, helping him on his journey of being an amazing player.
- Laurence Bergreen, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life (New York: Broadway Books, 1997), 175. ↵
- Bergreen, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, 194. ↵
- Bergreen, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, 195. ↵
- Bergreen, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, 200. ↵
- Terry Teachout, POPS: A Life of Louis Armstrong (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009), 132. ↵
59 comments
Christopher Metta Bexar
Louis Armstrong was a legend in the jazz world for a good reason. He , as the author said, always made his audiences feel welcomed no matter what their social position or color of skin.
He also challenged the stereotypes of the jazz fans of my generation. They were used to stars like Miles Davis or the great jazz singer Billie Holliday being on drugs or anti social. It was those days in which jazz stars had to be stellar to be noticed,especially if a person of color. The two most famous jazz stars to come out of the 194s have albums which are still in demand today because they had the talent to break the color line and the personality to make themselves welcomed anywhere by audiences of any color.
Aidan Farrell
This is a very interesting and well made article, Vanessa. I did not know a lot about Louis Armstrong and his legacy, besides his most famous song, but it was fun to learn about him throughout this article. You told his story in a very interesting way that I say works rather well. You had great word choice and I could not find any grammar errors. The only thing I have to say is that I wish it was longer. Well done otherwise..
Edgar Cruz
I find this article to be very emotional and heart warming. It is true what this article describes, Armstrong did many remarkable things for music and people, in general. Not only did he truly revolutionize the genre of Jazz with his deep voice, he helped unite all sort of people together through the only language everyone can understand: music.
Daniel Gimena
The importance of Louis Armstrong in Jazz is known by everyone. The legacy that this man left behind him in Jazz and music in general was that extraordinary that, still today, people listen to his music and still think that he is the greatest of all times.
I loved the first paragraph of the article, in which the author explains how Armstrong accomplished to make any person to hear to his music, no matter their skin color, language, etc. He accomplished to united all the people, forgetting any differences they may have had, while listening to his music. I think that exactly there is were his mastery was. More people like him are always needed to relax some tensions in the world and try to make it a better place to live.
Sophia Rodriguez
Louis Armstrong is such an amazing musician. As a trumpet player I love his music and they way he played was so unique like nobody else. I agree with you that his music is timeless and has affected this style of jazz today. One of my favorite songs by Louis Armstrong is his collaboration with Ella Fitzgerald on the song “Dream a Little Dream of Me”.
Matthew Avila
I always enjoy listening to Louis’s music; he has such a unique voice and sound that you can recognize immediately. Louis was around the time where Jazz was just starting to become well-known. and he played a very important role in the advancement of Jazz music. because Jazz was originally Dixieland and Original Style but when he moved to Chicago he started to move away from those improvisational styles and he developed his own sound.
Vanessa Quetzeri
I love Louis Armstrong’s music; one of my favorite songs is What a Wonderful World. He took a leap of faith and left New Orleans to pursue his career in Chicago during the prohibition period, where his career took off. Louis Armstrong was a fantastic Jazz musician that put his heart and soul into every performance; I admire his passion and love for music.
Saira Locke
I have never listened to Armstrong’s music, but I know he was very great at what he did Armstrong did something that was so remarkable in the early 1900’s. To leave his hometown Chicago to pursue his love for music is truly inspiring. He accomplished so much for chasing his dreams for what he was doing. Music is more then something that you just listen to, it’s a work of art that has meaning in it.
Saira Locke
Armstrong did something that was so remarkable in the early 1900’s. To leave his hometown Chicago to pursue his love for music is truly inspiring. He accomplished so much for chasing his dreams for what he was doing. Music is more then something that you just listen to, it’s a work of art that has meaning in it.
Jose Chaman
I loved this article. The way the story of the great Louis Armstrong is compacted here is incredible. I am a regular listener of jazz music, especially Armstrong. Mythical musician, achiever of his dreams and above all, he knew how to connect with his audience. More than his lyrics I believe that his music expresses more his feelings, he achieved it, he managed to become one with the music and leave an incredible legacy for the music.