Louis Armstrong by Shelly He

The Start of Music Pathway

039955_1 — 2025-02-02 00:23:22 UTC

Louis Armstrong ( 1901 - 1971 ) raised in New Orleans. His background family is unwealthy, and his father died when Louis Armstrong was at a young age. When he was 10, he fired a gun into the air; then, he was sent into a reformatory. And that gunshot twisted his entire life path around. In the reformatory, he met his first trumpet teacher, Peter Davis. At that point, Louis Armstrong's music path had started.

After leaving the reformatory at 18, he became a famous performer in New Orleans and joined the kid Ory Bad. Then, in 1922, he joined the Joe King Oliver Band, and this experience pushed him to grow rapidly. In the 1920s, Armstrong shifted his focus from playing in a band to being a soloist. He is the first one to create a trumpet-lead Jazz solo style.

Style of Music

039955_1 — 2025-02-02 00:28:59 UTC

Louis Armstrong is a master Jazz trumpeter, and he has a strong development of swing in all of his music. Later on, as he starts to sing, he has a special gravelly voice of singing which inspires a lot of musicians later on. Most of his songs are full of hope and rhythm and his live performance in my opinion is the most attracting part. He is always so excited about his performance. Louis Armstrong also had a lot of famous songs established, and I will explore them in my post later on.

039955_1 — 2025-02-06 00:06:13 UTC

One of the most famous songs Louis Armstrong has released is called “Hello, Dolly!”This recording was released in 1964 and became a widely popular song. This song also won the Song of the Year and Male Vocal Performance awards at the 7th Annual Grammy Awards.

The music starts with a joyful and jumping tune, and then Louis Armstrong’s voice comes in. Even though the voice is deep, it’s joyful. In the middle of the song, it cuts a trumpet sound the melody is swingy and happy.

Hello Dolly Live Version

039955_1 — 2025-02-08 19:56:36 UTC

The version I pick is Louis Armstrong & his All-Stars playing live in Berlin in 1965. I chose this version because, in the video, Louis Armstrong is singing joyfully and transferring happiness to the audience. In my opinion, Louis Armstrong’s life has more power than his recording, and through this live show, we can see he is enjoying the music. Also, after he finishes performing the whole song, he starts singing again because of how excited he still is.

Go Down, Moose

039955_1 — 2025-02-15 19:08:07 UTC

Louis Armstrong recorded “Go Down, moose” in 1965. The song's main idea and theme is to stand up to the racist and often limiting strategies of white elites. As a whole the song’s melody is slow and deep which shadows the weight of the lyrics. Going to the rhythm is steady like someone is marching and I think it reflects how the black people are arching toward freedom. Louis Armstrong’s voice is also significant in the song. His gravy played an important role in expressing the emotion of sorrow but also having strength mixed into it. Louis Armstrong also combined trumpet into the song which adds another layer to the melody. Armstrong played trumpet with a bold and rich sound which had a significant comparison with his deep and gravy voice. The rich trumpet melody also symbolizes the freedom of light the black people are seeking. One of the most notable parts of the trumpet melody is that he blows a high-pitched burst which really drags out the emotions in the song.

Louis Armstong's Family

039955_1 — 2025-02-15 19:23:08 UTC

Louis Armstrong met his wife, Daisy Parker when he performed at the Brick House in Gretna, Louisiana. They got married on March 19, 1919, at a City Hall. After they get married they adopted a three years-old-boy, Clarence, who is from his cousin Flora. Flora had died soon after giving birth to Clarence and Armstrong had been taking care of Clarence for the rest of his life. Sadly, Armstrong’s marriage to Parker ended when they separated in 1923.

On February 4, 1924, Armstrong married Lil Hardin Armstong, King Oliver’s pianist. She had developed Armstrong to develop his career a lot but they divorced in 1938. Armstrong then married Alpa Smith. Their marriage had lasted for 4 years and get divorced. And at last, Armstong married Lucille Wilson, a singer at the Cotton Club in New York in 1942. And their marriage had continued until they died.

What A Wonderful World

039955_1 — 2025-02-15 19:39:18 UTC

This song was recorded on August 16, 1967. This is a song that celebrates life, nature, and all the joys in the world. The lyrics include words like “trees of green” and skies of blue” which create a lively picture of nature. Armstong’s voice also played a huge role in the song. In the melody, the tempo is slow and smooth transferring a relaxing feeling towards the audience and Armstong’s gravy and warm voices add another layer to the basic melody of the song. In conclusion, “What A Wonderful World” delivers the idea of finding joy and enjoying life and joy all around you.

What A Wonderful World Live Version

039955_1 — 2025-02-23 02:41:54 UTC

Louis Armstrong performed “What A Wonderful World” live at BBC Studios in 1968. In this version, the most eye-catching part is his enthusiasm when he is singing. You can see him smiling and shaking his head the whole. Also during his performance, he sings freely and is full of the feeling of swing. His way of singing really transfers the feeling of happiness.

Career Pathway

039955_1 — 2025-02-23 02:43:38 UTC

Rise in Chicago with King Oliver (1922 - 1924)

Louis Armstrong received an invitation from King Oliver and attend the Creole Jazz Band. Armstrong’s fiery solos at that time had been planned for the shift of being a soloist later on.

New York & Fletcher Henderson (1924-1925)

He joined the Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra In NYC.

The Hot Five & Hot Seven Era ( 1925-1929)

Louis Armstrong decides to return back to Chicago and record sessions with the Hot Five and Hot Seven. The few key tracks are Heebie Jeebie, West End Blues, and Potato Head Blues.

Global Ambassador & All-Stars Era (1947-1960s)

Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars had formed a small combo in New Orleans-style combo that blended traditional jazz with pop hits. And they have gone on tours globally.

Late-Career Icon & Pop Culture Legacy (1960s–1971)

Armstrong had released a song called, Hello, Dolly! This song knocked the Beatles off #1 and made Armstrong the oldest artist to the top charts.

Conclusion

Louis Armstrong had influenced the Jazz's foundation of having more swing songs and big bands too. Also, he had expanded the range of the instrument's range and technical range. On the culture bridge, he became the first Black entertainer to achieve global success.

Conclude

039955_1 — 2025-02-27 01:26:13 UTC

In summary, Louis Armstrong is a talented musician. He has a high level of trumpet skills and a unique voice for vocals. He has made a huge accomplishment in introducing solo trumpet into Jazz music and bringing swing in front of the audience. In my opinion, my favorite song by Louis Armstrong is “What a Wonderful World” because it’s full of emotions and the message it’s trying to transfer to celebrate life and nature is meaning full to me.