Louis Armstrong Essay - 1388 Words

The Life and Music of Louis Armstrong Among the most popular and appreciated musicians of our time, Louis Satchmo Armostrong brought a musical presence, technical mastery, and imaginative genius that so overwhelmed musicians of his day that he became their principle model, leaving an indelible imprint on the music (Kernfield 27). When reviewing Armstrongs life work, his years with us can be divided into two aspects, his personal life and his music. While giving significant background of Armstrongs life, his paper will also introduce and explain the impact that he had on music and the world of jazz. Born on the Fourth of July in 1900, Armstrong was delivered in a cabin in a ddilapidated black slum in the Back o Town section of†¦show more content†¦Known for his misbehavior at the home, at the age of twelve he was said to have fired a gun into the air on New Years Eve. He was also said to have been involved in more general delinquency, which caused him to go to reform school. At age fourteen, Armstrong was releas ed from the school and spent his time, selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. He didnt own an instrument at this time, but continue to listen to bands at the clubsÂ… (LouisÂ…). Although Armstrong spent some of his adolescent years in reform school, he joined the school band and learned to play cornet. In this particular band, Armstrong played customary band music of the day Ââ€" marches, rags, and sentimental songs. By the time he left reform school he was determined to become a musician. Using borrowed instruments back in Storyville, he began sitting in at honky-tonks around his home, playing mainly the blues and few other songs he had in his repertory of music. He also played at local picnics and parades with one of his earliest teachers, Peter Davis. Throughout Armstrongs life, he habitually put himself under the wing of a tough, aggressive older mentor. Probably the most significant of these men was the strong minded King Oliver, who was then consi dered to be the best jazz cornetist in New Orleans. Olivers sponsorship and mentoring of Louis allowed him to play in public andShow MoreRelatedLouis Armstrong Essay634 Words   |  3 PagesLouis Armstrong Louis Satchmo Armstrong was one of the most popular musicians of his time. Upon initiating my research, I was surprised to find conflicting dates as to when he was born. Encarta Africa said he was born in 1901, 1001 things to know about African American history-1898, regular Encarta --1900, Little Louis and the jazz band by Angela Shelf Medearis says his date of birth is August 4, 1901. The book Jazz Stars by Richard Rennert states that Louis Armstrong was born in 1899Read MoreLouis Armstrong Essay850 Words   |  4 PagesLouis Armstrong Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901 to Mayanne and William Armstrong. His father abandoned his family during Louis infancy. Louis spent the first years of his life with his grandmother, Josephine Armstrong. After age five, Louis moved back with his mother and his sister, Mama Lucy. The family was forced to live in stark poverty. Louis got into some trouble when he was just 12 years old and was placed in the Waifs Home for Boys. It wasRead MoreImportance of Louis Armstrong1568 Words   |  7 PagesLouis Armstrong Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. He was from a very poor family and was sent to reform school when he was twelveRead More Louis Armstrong Essay1336 Words   |  6 Pages Louis Armstrongs Influential Career Louis Armstrong’s Influential Career Louis Armstrong was the most successful and talented jazz musician in history. His influence and expansive career continues to make waves in the jazz world. That is what made him become what he is to many today – a legend. Born on August 4, 1901, in the poorest section of New Orleans, Armstrong grew up with his grandparents due to his parents’ separation. On January 1, 1913 he made a mistake which turned out to be theRead MoreLouis Armstrong Essay1547 Words   |  7 PagesLouis Armstrong He was born in the south at a time when a black boy could expect nothing but to grow up, work hard at the lowest jobs all his life, and hope somehow, somewhere manage to stay healthy and get a little out of life.(P.1 Collier) Get a little out of life Louis did, a pure genius he revolutionized Americas first true form of art, jazz. Doing a paper on Louis Armstrong has been enjoyable to do and the information that is available on Armstrong is endless. So much that this paperRead MoreThe Legacy Of Louis Armstrong Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesLouis Armstrong, one of the most influential figures in jazz music, enjoyed a career that spans across 50 years, and through different eras of jazz. Nicknamed† Satchmo†, â€Å"Pops†, and† Ambassador Satch†, Armstrong could do it all, he sang, occasionally acted, composed music, but was most famous for his cornet and trumpet playing. Although Armstrong is well known for his amazing trumpet play, he also influenced t he direction that jazz music during his time was headed. Over the course of this paper IRead MoreJazz, By Louis Armstrong2718 Words   |  11 PagesJazz midterm 1. Louis Armstrong is credited in the book titled Jazz as the â€Å"single most important figure in the development of jazz.† He is known as the only major figure in Western musical history to have a profound influence as a singer and an instrumentalist. His defining qualities as a performer were the emotion, beauty, and technical mastery he brought to each performance, and he knew how to please an audience. Performing jazz was a personal and powerful experience to him, and it was communicatedRead MoreLouis Armstrong : The Era Of Jazz1449 Words   |  6 PagesLouis Armstrong once said â€Å"If you ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.† Armstrong was conveying the message that jazz is whatever the performer makes of it, for there are no rules or restrictions on what the performer can do. Louis Armstrong was a famous jazz trumpeter from New Orleans who influenced the era of jazz tremendously throughout the years with his unique style, which included bringing in imp rovisation to pieces. The quote stated earlier can be applied to life, showing that in order toRead More Biography of Louis Armstrong Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesLouis Armstrong was born in one of the poorest sections in New Orleans, August 4, 1901. Louis a hard-working kid who helped his mother and sister by working every type of job there was, including going out on street corners at night to singing for coins. Slowly making money, Louis bought his first horn, a cornet. At age eleven Armstrong was sent to juvenile Jones Home for the colored waifs for firing a pistol on New Year’s Eve. While in jail Armstrong received his first formal music lesson from oneRead MoreThe Jazz Musici Louis Armstrong1078 Words   |  5 Pagesroadhouses, dance halls and places all over the country. It’s a very fast paced sound that was different than what people had heard of before. Louis Armstrong was a very well-known jazz musician during this time. He played the trumpet and was a ve ry good jazz musician. He was in many bands, played in Broadway and traveled playing jazz for people (Wenning). Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana (Woog, 15). He grew up in a very poor area nicknamed, â€Å"The Battlefield.† Armstrong’s