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Revision as of 13:16, 23 February 2002 by 151.24.145.3 (talk) (satchmo :-))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Louis Armstrong - Satchmo - (1901-1971) was a jazz trumpeter and singer.
Born Louis Daniel Armstrong from a poor family in New Orleans, he was almost universally regarded as one of the most important musicians of the 20th century, influencing many genres of music, but particularly remembered as one of "founding fathers of Jazz".
Much is known about his lowly birth and hardships in his early youth but nothing can prepare the listener for the inate developing jazz genius that was to unfold in the early 1920s.
He strode onto the world in the 1920s as a giant, easily eclipsing his mentor Joe "King" Oliver and all of his New Orleans and Chicago contempories. The next 10 years were to see a flowering of jazz genius like the world had never seen before and since. Although subject to the visissitudes of Tin Pan Alley and the music business and gangsterism of the era he continued to provide fantastic solos in front of famous named orchestras. Not only that but continued to tour for the next 30 years on a gruelling 300+ days a year on one-night stands. He also appeared in over 30 films.
In his career he played and singed with the most important instrumentalists and vocalists; among the many, Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Bessie Smith and great singer Ella Fitzgerald, with whom he recorded for Norman Grantz's Verve records the two famous "Ella & Louis" and "Ella & Louis again".
In the end he was revered all over the world as "Ambassador Satch" and had an international success with pieces like "Potato Head Blues", "Star Dust", "What a Wonderful World", "Oh, when the saints go marchin' in", "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "Ain’t Misbehavin’", "Stompin’ at the Savoy" and "Hello Dolly" (and really many others). Other uncommon performances (such as, e.g., in "Disney Songs the Satchmo Way") granted him a worldwide popularity.
It has been said that Satchmo was the best ambassador of hot music and a wonderful human being; effectively, it is not easy to admit this statement as a NPOV. Nevertheless, there is indeed a high probability it could be simply true.
Armstrong's particular sensibility, as a player and as a person, was generally recognised with special deep sympathy, as well as his unique voice and his smile .