The collaboration of two of some of the most influential musicians to not just happen to jazz but to the evolution of music is bound to be pioneering. This wasn’t the first time that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong performed together, however, it was the first of three times for it to be released as a studio album. Norman Granz was responsible for the creation of the pairing as he worked for the Verve recording label. Granz selected eleven melodies that maintained a slow to moderate tempo to ensure an intimate feeling in the music was kept. To provide the instrumental section, the Oscar Peterson Quartet was hired. By the time Verve hired Armstrong and Fitzgerald, they were both already well-established musicians with prominent careers. …show more content…
The most popular song off of the album, “Cheek To Cheek” demonstrates how the two had a chemistry like no other and how comfortable they were with one another. Examples of this would be how they playfully sing with one another; whether it be Armstrong’s soft chuckle or Ella’s subtle “oooh.” At times, the tones are borderline theatrical yet still sincere. In “Can’t We Be Friends” Louis is afraid to ask her to be his lass as she is infatuation about falling for her lover. “When sung as a duet, the song takes on an entirely new dimension, showing that men and women don’t actually think as differently as we …show more content…
However, with the slow pace, the songs become much more romantic and pensive. It was often said that the album wouldn’t succeed due to clashing of their egos or that their phasing was far too polar opposite but somehow it miraculously prospered. Composer and songwriter, Cole Porter, described the rhythm and beat as, “The smile on the Mona Lisa.” Louis and Ella was recorded in August of 1956 and in the December 8th, 1956 copy of “The Billboard” it was listed as the number one up and coming pop album. At the time, it was competing with new album releases by Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Lawrence Welk. Saying that the vocals are flawless is an understatement and the album was by far top-notch. The chemistry is debatably the best to be heard on an album of any kind and comes effortlessly to the two. It has become a staple to music history that undoubtedly changed jazz
Louis has being the most prominent trumpet player in history. His trumpet playing techniques significantly impacted all other instrument players who came after him and emulated his techniques in all other instruments. His style and innovative perspective of jazz changed all the forthcoming jazz singers who had a lot to learn from him, including Bix who learnt a lot from Louis Armstrong. Two of his most famous hit sounds were “What a Wonderful World” as well as “Hello Dolly” among others. The emotions attached to his music is what attracted most people and led to the spread of his music. The charm present in the music was also adored and enjoyed by
Jazz music did not become successful on its own. Its huge success during the 1940’s and 1950’s is due to the talented jazz singers and musicians who contributed to music. One of the successful musicians who contributed to Jazz was Louis Jordan. Jordan was an African American singer, bandleader and best known for his amazing technique and style while playing the saxophone. What set Jordan apart from all the other Jazz singers of his time was his appearance; being a comedian before going into music helped him appeal a wider and a more diverse audience. Appealing a more diverse audience was especially important during a time where segregation was an ongoing problem. His success was also due to his amazing band, the Tympany Five. The band included
Imagine. You are sitting in complete silence, even the nearby crickets won't dare to let out even the slightest of croaks. You stare down at your cluttered, dimly lit desk. Your hand grasps your pen, and the other rubs back and forth across your temple in angst. Your eyes pass over each paper, containing each incomplete thought, and your mind floods with memories of your past. Trapped by writer’s block, you are all alone with only your experiences, surroundings, and philosophy aiding you in the fall that is the dark reality of alcoholism and depression. For renowned authors F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, these influences all played a crucial role in identifying their style techniques, as well as determining similarities and differences
Information about Ella Fitzgerald prior to her singing career remains quite ambiguous. There are no written autobiographies, memoirs and not much evidence of her childhood written down. Unlike Louis Armstrong, she did not want to make her past known to her public because she was ashamed by of the poverty and struggle she faced before her fame. Only interviews with childhood friends, family and of musicians who knew her off the stage are what are left to help reveal a more in depth look into her life.
Jazz music’s roots go deeper than most people could ever begin to imagine. Whether it is the influencing of other styles of music, the broadening of other media forms, or even the molding and shaping of the atmosphere of entire cities, jazz usually has a part in it. And with an impressive career spanning over 50 years, countless hits that are being replicated in numerous forms even today, and the pivotal part that he played in the Harlem Renaissance , it is almost impossible to talk about anything jazz related without mentioning Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.
Ellington's other innovations include the use of the human voice as an instrument, such as in "Creole Love Call" (1927). He also placed instruments in unusual combinations, illustrated in the piece "Mood Indigo" (1930). When the orchestra performs this piece, three soloists stand out in front of the stage, playing three different instruments. Improvisation was a big part of Ellington’s music.
singer who had a fresh new style that was a combination of Louis Armstrong's swinging and
Louis Armstrong was the first great trumpet soloist in jazz. His unmistakable trumpet and vocals allowed him to continue doing what he loved most, making people happy. Armstrong was loved by many people, whether they were white, Africa...
One of the very monumental jazz artists during the jazz age was Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was a trumpet player, bandleader, soloists and singer. Louis was born on August fourth 1901 in a bad neighborhood of New Orleans called “The Battlefield”. His parents were not the best . Armstrong's father was a factory worker but left when he was young. His mother was around but she often turned to prostitution in order to help support him; therefore his grandmother was his primary guardian. Armstrong's first job was given to him by a Jewish family by the last name of Karnofskys working delivering coal and collecting junk The Karnofskys often fed him meals and always encouraged him to sing. Armstrong was a bit rough around the edges and he had an incident on new year’s eve in 1912 he fired h...
When it comes to jazz music, there is one name that everyone knows, whether they’ve never listened to jazz before or if they’ve listened to it their whole lives. That name is Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was one of the pioneers of jazz music, from his humble beginnings in one of New Orleans roughest districts, “the Battlefield”, to playing concerts for sold out crowds in Chicago and New York City, Louis left a massive impact on the way America listened to music for a long time. One of his premier tracks, “West End Blues”, left an impact on jazz music, which other musicians would try to emulate for years.
Within the debate on who is to be crowned the “Great American Novel,” a valid factor that may be taken into consideration is how ideals in culture become altered with an evolving environment, and therefore, the argument can be made on the behalf of The Great Gatsby to be considered for the title. Due to its more recent ideological concepts, the novel addresses American ideals that are not fully developed or addressed at all within The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These ideals can be boiled down to primarily two concepts: the fully-developed American dream of richness and upper-class goals, and consumerism in the industrialization of America. While Mark Twain’s piece touches on the “American dream” with Huck beginning the book off with $6,000
The critical essay written by James Gindin is titled "Gods and Fathers in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Novels". Throughout the content, he reviewed the renowned novel The Great Gatsby (1925). In his well-analyzed essay, Gindin highlights the connection between all of Fitzgerald's novels, and that is the idea of "the paradox implicit in the doctrine of original sin", meaning the heroes would unavoidably, bring themselves to the state of mind where they cannot differentiate what is it that they desperately want to be and who they really are. Sort of they cannot differentiate the difference between appearance versus reality. And there is a romantic hero within all of these novels, the one what all the other heroes often place a "moral judgments" on. The romantic hero
Many jazz artists as we know it are quite talented. Their talents are unique in that they can translate human emotion through singing or playing their instruments. Many have the ability to reach and touch people’s souls through their amazing gifts. Although this art of turning notes and lyrics into emotional imagery may somewhat come natural, the audience must wonder where their influence comes from. For Billie Holiday, her career was highly influenced by personal experience, the effects of the Great Depression, and the racial challenges of African Americans during her time.
In this “my heart” music piece, Louis Armstrong also solos with his cornet leading and is followed by other musicians with clarinet, trombone and piano. At 00:01-00:43, Louis solos with his cornet using improvision technique, creating a very warm, beautiful and slow melody and creating a beautiful swing rhythm. With his beautiful voice, Armstrong was able to contribute to the history of Jazz with another art called scat singing. Louis Armstrong was not only perfect at inventing beautiful melodies and rhythms with his trumpet, he was also able to compose wordless vocal sounds on his music.... ...
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams share and explore themes and techniques of imprisonment, by both mental and physical means. To explore imprisonment, both writers use characters and narration techniques to express themes of illusion and reality by characterisation, the American Dream in symbolism, and entrapment by responsibility through narration structure. While both authors express a story, Tennessee Williams uses play direction, while F. Scott Fitzgerald uses novel structure to convey the ideas of imprisonment.