The Founding Father of Jazz: Louis Armstrong

Foundations of the installation Father of chicane Louis Armstrong Being heard in movies, the radio, television, and so far elevators, have a go at it melody has made its mark in just roughly e truly single location of the world. As popular as chouse is almost the world, its original roots and foundations in the African-American culture atomic number 18 oft forgotten. One of the most influential jazz musicians, Louis Armstrong, as well as cognize as Satchmo or Pops, is considered to be among the founding fathers of jazz music. His passage launched in the early 1900s, where his legacy would form early to create a depart foundation for early jazz music that was kind of exceptional.Louis Armstrong was such an substantial part of the jazz age during the 1920s that his music created a slopped foundation, paving the way for Jazz musicians everywhere. His influential singing, along with his great dexterity, composite lyrics, and profound melodies make it easy for him to cla im his title as The Founding Father of Jazz. Taking his prototypic breath in the world on August 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born to William and Mary Mayanne Albert Armstrong in the Battlefield of hot, Orleans, Louisiana nonpareil of the poorest areas of town (Old 15).Shortly after his birth, he was a call uponed by his father, a milling machinery worker, to be leave with his m some(a) other, struggling to make ends meet (Old 16). Armstrongs puerility was rather tough considering the fact that he had been a roachoned by his father. Also, as time worsened, he was abandoned by his start as she sullen to prostitution to create additional cash. He and his younger sister, Beatrice Armstrong Collins, were frequently left in the care of his maternal grandmother, Josephine Armstrong and their Uncle Isaac (Old 16).At age five, he moved keystone to function with his mother and relatives and very rarely saw his father. Armstrong had much prise for his mother he wrote, She held up her head at all timesWhat she didnt have, she did without. (Old 22) As a youngster, Armstrong was often seen singing in the streets with his friends to earn money. He was a very smart boy, but he often made the wrong decisions. He skipped from kindergarten into the second grade and grew up in a rough area where he would learn to shoot die for pennies and play blackjack (Old 23).He attended the Fisk schooltime for Boys in 1906 where he was inaugural exposed to a large variety of music and brought in surplus money as a paperboy, selling solid food to restaurants, and hauling sear to Storyville. However, he was non able to help his mother from turning to prostitution. often times, young Armstrong explored local dance halls where he would soak in versatile aspects to the music business, including the music itself, perfor mances, and dancing. The infamous Storyville is where Armstrong often listened to bands and musicians which admitd Joe King Oliver and other famous vocali sts (Old 36).A fast forward to the year of 1912 brings us to the beginnings of Armstrongs affair in instrumental music. In this very year, he dropped out of the Fisk School for boys and began to make a living by singing on the streets of sassy Orleans with a quartet group. During the time Armstrong performed with the quartet, Joe King Oliver taught him how to play the cornet. Because Armstrong did not have much family support, he was often left to his lonesome. However, a very kind Lithuanian-Jewish family, the Karnofskys, who gave him odd jobs from time to time took him in and treated him as their own.Eventually, the Karnofskys loaned him money for his first very own cornet, which would give him one of the indispensable tools needed to be a successful musician an instrument (Morgenstern 100). Although Armstrongs positive experience and career outlook began to develop in a great way that soon took a channelize in 1914 when he was sent to the New Orleans Home for Colored Waifs , a ungodliness home (Old 27). During that time, he was most cognize for his arrest due to dismission his stepfathers pistol into the air at a New twelvemonths Eve celebration.While at home, he was appointed to be the band leader for The Home band as they played all around New Orleans at the age of 13 years old. His tuneful career became more than popular as he gained attention from the unrestricted eye for his evident cornet playing skills. At the age of 14, Armstrong was rel sticking(p) from the home, returned to live with his father and stepmother, and soon to live with his mother again. Moving back with his mother put him in an environment that led him back to performing on the streets and being tempted by the red-light district lifestyle.Shortly after moving in with his mother, he got his first dance hall job (Henry Ponces) where he hauled blacken by day and played cornet at night, making his skills long-familiar once again. Armstrong frequently performed as a cornet pla yer which at long last helped him develop his own style and a more serious locating toward music. He played in the citys brass band parades, riverboats and steamboats, and took notes from other musicians with every change he got. Perfecting his craft was something that was very unadulteratedal to him.Some influential musicians that affected Armstrongs career included Buck Johnson, comrade Petit, slang Ory, and Joe King Oliver. King soon became a mentor and roughly of a father figure for the young musician who seemed to have no relevant family relationships or strong ties. His participation in playing on steamboats around New Orleans led him to travel with the popular band, sine qua non Marable. As he and the well-regarded band toured up and down the Mississippi River, much experience was gained by working with write tuneful pieces and arrangements.In 1917, Armstrong began playing with Kid Orys band until 1919 when Joe Oliver decided to move north and resign his station in the band. 1919 marks the year Armstrong became an official band member and re coiffed the King. Also, in that year, he became the second trumpeter for the Tuxedo Brass Band in New Orleans. In between his time playing with Kid Ory, Armstrong hook up with Daisy Parker (Gretna, Louisiana) on March 19, 1918 (Old 39). Around that time Louis cousin, whose mother, Flora, died presently after heavy(p) birth, had been concurn in by the newlyweds.The three-year-old boy, Clarence Armstrong, who was mentally disabled, became one of Louis main responsibilities. Although both Daisy and Louis were parenting Clarence, the spousal relationship did not last very long. They quickly separated and filed for divorce. However, Parker died shortly after the divorce. As Armstrongs career began to develop regular more, some adjustment had to be made to perfect his craft even more. In 1921, Louis Armstrong learned how to efficiently read music. His improvements led to great advancements as he joined O livers Creole Jazz Band in lolly in 1922.While working with the band, he took interest in Lillian (Lil) Hardin, the pianist, and they soon got married. His marriage with Lil lasted much longer than his first and they accomplished great things together. Although Louis Armstrong is renowned for his undreamt jazz records, it is not widely known that many of his greatest hits were written and set up by his wife at the time. She played the piano, composed, and arranged music for most of the central bands from New Orleans at the time.Lil Armstrong was a major contributor to her husbands success as she composed hundreds of records and created musical successes (Kallen 32). In 1923, as paychecks persist ind to roll in, Armstrongs career began to take a turn for the better. His lucrative career provided the proper finances for his abundant lifestyle maintained in Chicago, where he met Hoagy Carmichael. A vernacular friend, Bix Beiderbecke, introduced the two to each other and they la ter collaborated on several projects. Jazz music began to circulate and spread through speakeasies, ballrooms, and dancehalls of Chicago (Kallen 30).It was very important that Armstrong would move to Chicago during the 1920s in order to keep up with the times. African-Americans moved away from the South to industrial states in the North this was known as the Great Migration (Kallen 28). The city nicknamed Chi-Town became the major hub for gangsters, illegal nightclubs (speakeasies), and illegal spirits trade. The speakeasies were a major launching place for black musicians because they provided a place for the musicians to perform, earn lucrative paychecks, and led to a golden age of intromission (Kallen 28).Although Armstrong thoroughly enjoyed working with Oliver in Chicago, his wife suggested that he seek more advisement in order to develop and expand his newer style which was quite different from Olivers. Listening to his wife, Armstrong left Olivers band, and began to play in Fletcher Hendersons band in Harlem, New York, 1924. The Henderson band, being highly respected, played in only the best venues and often for white-only crowds. While in Hendersons band, he adapted to their controlled sound and style of play and incorporated storytelling and singing into his acts.Armstrong to a fault made many side recordings which included the likes of Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Alberta Hunter. Many of these collaborations were arranged by an old friend back in New Orleans, Clarence Williams. Although he made quite a name for himself in the big city, his hobble in New York did not last long he eased on down back to Chicago in 1925 in forecast of boosting his career, increase income, and gain more publicity. Introduced as the Worlds superlative Trumpet Player, Armstrong began to play with the Lil Hardin Armstrong Band but in conclusion began to record nether his own name instead of joint projects with his wife.He recorded under okey and worked with his own gro ups, the Hot tail fin and the Hot Seven. Popular hits during this time include Potato Head Blues, Muggles, and West End Blues. Several hits, including Muggles had references that indicated Armstrongs long-time bosom of recreational plant use with marijuana. aft(prenominal) working with the groups Hot Five and Hot Seven, Armstrong went into great ventures forming another band Louis Armstrong & the Stompers. The band toured with the classic musical, Hot Chocolate, and had notable performances.He also made cameo appearances as a vocalist, often taking the spotlight with his rendition of Aint Misbehavin. Armstrongs interlingual rendition of the song was quick to gain popularity and became his biggest selling record of all time. Armstrong finally moved to Los Angeles in 1930 and played in the Cotton Club with work up floor shows and celebrity guests. At the Cotton Club, he had notable success with his vocal recordings and even renditions of other famous songs. His recordings t ook a chance of melodic line with the introduction of the RCA ribbon microphone in 1931.Intrinsic music style change showcased Armstrongs unique vocal style and gave him a more groundbreaking approach to singing. It would not be long before Armstrong would make appearances in film. In fact, in 1931, he appeared in his first movie, Ex-Flame. However, shortly thereafter, he was convicted for possession of marijuana, induced conflict upon himself with the mob, moved back to New Orleans, and eventually fled to Europe. As a comeback attempt, which was successful, Armstrong and his band worked with Joe Glaser to record with the Mills Brothers, Louis Jordan, Tommy Dorsey, and even Ella Fitzgerald.He later appeared in the film, Pennies from Heaven with Bing Crosby in 1936 and in 1937, he became the first black to host a sponsored, national radio broadcast. Louis Armstrongs career began to rise again however, his marriage did not experience the same thing. After having a variety of issues with his wife, Lil, they decided to divorce in 1938 and he began his ordinal marriage with a woman named Alpha and his image to the public became a major concern. In addition to Armstrongs marijuana usage, he love to eat food and write in his journal.Several journal entries range from unstated to explicit notes which include several accounts regarding his sex life, music, childhood memories, and even a few jokes. He also went into great detail to describe food the taste of it, the smell of it, the textures, and the way it made him feel on the inside. viands truly made him a soulful man with a smiling on his face. However, his love for food became a problem when it came to health concerns. Armstrong was at major risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and even obesity.It became his elementary goal to control his weight. Often times, he would be seen taking laxatives and go them to his band mates. It was very important to him to maintain a certain image that he wo uld be perceived as a fit man being in many films inspired him to do so. Some who worked with him also recalled times he would purge him in order to control weight. Armstrongs life as not only an entertainer, but a wind personality, made him a great man adored by Americans in the 1900s. He gave even the greatest performers something to learn from.His influential jazz styles along with his loving personality gave him the career of a lifetime and truly a great experience. Louis Armstrong and his legacy as a Jazz musician continue on. The Founding Father of Jazz left a mark in music history that cannot be erased. Works Cited Armstrong, Louis. Satchmo My Life in New Orleans. New York, NY Da Capo, 1986. Print. Bergreen, Laurence. Louis Armstrong An Extravagant Life. New York Broadway, 1997. Print. Jazz . Jazz Greats . Louis Armstrong phosphate buffer solution KIDS GO Jazz . Jazz Greats . Louis Armstrong PBS KIDS GOPBS Kids, n. d. Web. Nov. 2012. <http//pbskids. org/jazz/nowthen/loui s. html>. Kallen, Stuart A. The History of Jazz. San Diego Lucent, 2003. Print. Louis Armstrong. Musician (Trumpet) completely About Jazz. N. p. , n. d. Web. Nov. 2012. <http//musicians. allaboutjazz. com/musician. php? id=3483>. Louis Armstrong. Musician (Trumpet) All About Jazz. NPR, n. d. Web. Nov. 2012. <http//musicians. allaboutjazz. com/musician. php? id=3483>. Old, Wendie C. Louis Armstrong King of Jazz. Springfield, NJ Enslow, 1998. Print.