Comparing Louis Armstrong and Etta James

1693 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Louis Armstrong's influence on the 20th century

In this investigation, I will attempt to compare two of the most famous and influential Jazz artists of all time, Louis Armstrong, and Etta James’ personal lives with regards to finding music, their stylistic similarities and I will also compare four of their most famous tracks. In the case of Armstrong, this track is ‘What a wonderful world’, and ‘We have all the time in the world’ and for Etta James I will analyse and compare ‘At Last’, and ‘I’ve been loving you too long’.

Louis Armstrong was born on August 4th 1901 in New Orleans. Armstrong spent his childhood in poverty, living with his family in an area of New Orleans known as the Uptown district. As a direct result of his families poverty, young Louis did not enjoy many of the finer things in life that others of his age living elsewhere in the US did. at a young age, Armstrong was taken in by what Armstrong called his “Second family”. Armstrong developed a strong passion for music and began taking cornet lessons as a young child. Armstrong continued to develop his performance on the cornet and began playing in local brass bands. In the years that followed, Louis’ musicality slowly began grow. One of Armstrong’s most reconcilable hits, is ‘What a wonderful world’, written by Bob Thiele. The song itself has a relatively short in length, running only 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

The song is written in ternary form, with the melody played by an acoustic guitar and strings. The first melodic idea begins the song before a development passage which leads to the return of the orignal melodic idea which plays out to the end of the song.

The instrumentation of the song is typical of jazz tracks of this period, involving an acoustic guitar, strings, brass and obviously Armstrong’s v...

... middle of paper ...

...l than the other. Both artists have gained many hits throughout their careers, and what can be said, is that without the presence of either Armstrong or James, jazz as a genre may not have grown to have such a large following as it does today, and the same can be applied to modern music today, as many of the popular artists in the charts today have been heavily influenced by Jazz and the work of Louis Armstrong and Etta James for that matter. Taking all that has been said in to account, it is most likely universally agreed upon by fans of both Jazz and popular music, that it may not be where it is today without Armstrong and James’ influence, and the same can be said with regards to the music of the future in the sense that the work left behind by Armstrong and James, will go a long way to influencing the artists of the future, and indeed the music that they create.

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Bix Beiderbeck And Louis Armstroner

    1816 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Louis Armstrong And Bix Beiderbecke

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    Louis Armstrong was known for his “hot jazz” while Bix Beiderbecke was known more for his “cool reflective” jazz style. Louis Armstrong developed a new style of jazz music that took New Orleans by storm, and many other bands decided to move to north Chicago because of it. In 1925 Louis recorded his first Hot Five records and this was the first time he developed songs under his name. Then later on he made the Hot Seven and these two records are considered some of the biggest jazz classics. These records really established Louis Armstrong’s “hot jazz” style and many people recognized that. Many people and critics also considered these records as some of the finest jazz recordings in history, solos began to emerge and that really characterized jazz. These tracks were very important because it not only expressed Louis style but it influenced a lot of the jazz world. After the tracks many people began to change from polyphony to soloists, from embellishment to improvisation, and changing from breaks to having solos and their was much more influence. Then there was Bix Beiderbecke who was known for his “cool reflective” jazz. He was known for having a unique lyric tone, he had a vibrant sound, and he and he was different from other trumpet and cornet players. These were the type of things that led to the development of what is known as “cool jazz”. Everything that he went through in his life, the sadness, his heroic side, all this led to his music style. These two had a huge impact with their type of styles, which is the reason for their success. There uniqueness is what led to their style and them being known for their type of jazz, one simply can not say that one is better than the other because they simply did not have the same

    Read More

  • Jelly Roll Morton, a Brief Biography

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    The music of jazz became an important aspect of American culture in the early 20th century. The crisp syncopation of ragtime and the smooth tunes of the blues seeped into American mainstream music through dance halls and saloons and later through ballrooms. Instruments like the piano, trumpet, trombone and clarinet became important and symbolized the “swing-feel” of jazz because of their capability to syncopate and improvise precisely. With the help of the booming recording industry, musical geniuses were discovered and their talent and contributions to the emergence of jazz spread throughout the entire country. Such musicians include composer, arranger and pianist Jelly Roll Morton who heavily influenced the development of early jazz by his unique piano style, his “invention” of musical notation for jazz, and his compositions that have become the core in the jazz repertory. Because the style was new and different and so successful in drawing in large audiences, musicians around the world tried to mimic it. Furthermore, Morton’s masterpieces were the first to show notation for complicated jazz music and thus, formed the basis for standard notation in jazz compositions today.

    Read More

  • Jazz Music: Louis Armstrong And The Great Depression

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was said that he thought he was born on July 4, 1900 (Armstrong 7). While Louis was still an infant his father, William Armstrong, abandoned his family. He spent the first years of his life living with his Grandmother since at the time his parents were going through a separation. At age 5, he moved into a home with his mother and sister, Beatrice, whom he called Mama Lucy. He grew up in a rough section of New Orleans. They were incredibly poor and did not have enough money. He would work different jobs just to take care of his family. Louis would work anywhere that he would be able to find work. He would sing on the street, which would result in his nickname, Satchelmouth that would be shorten to Satchmo. His nickname was a result of him having a wide

    Read More

  • West End Blues: Louis Armstrong's Impact On Jazz Music

    455 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Louis Jordan's Contribution To Jazz

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Louis Armstrong: From Childhood To Adulthood

    3932 Words  | 8 Pages

    what he became and did not let anything get in the way of becoming a musician. In this

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Louis Armstrong's Influence On American History

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    “His relaxed phrasing was a major change from the staccato style of the early 20’s and helped to set the stage for the Swing Era” (“Life & Legacy”). And as such a prominent artist, and in particular, jazz artist, Armstrong did not only change the perception of jazz and swing, but the views on African Americans and their culture. Armstrong and the Harlem Renaissance reflected black history and culture, and it became popular, even in white communities and clubs. Jazz as a whole genre helped further society’s views through the universal language of music, where any ethnicity could partake in it. And the revolution of jazz was lead by the stylings of Louis Armstrong. The duration of the jazz and swing era, lasting decades past the 1920s, symbolized the civil rights movement directly through the lyrics, sounds, and artists

    Read More

  • Communication: Louis Armstrong As A Form Of Communication

    1605 Words  | 4 Pages

    His boisterous personality influenced many aspects of American culture, and his contributions and influence on Jazz are immeasurable. Nobody has done more for Jazz than Louis Armstrong, without question he is a Jazz legend (Friedwald). Armstrong excelled at everything he performed. A renaissance man of our time, his appreciation for music and life showed in his performances, and his talent showed his techniques and improvisation. Louis’s technique and improvisation on the trumpet set the standard for Jazz musicians (Friedwald). Fellow trumpeter Dizzie Gillespie credited Armstrong with this honor stating, “If it weren’t for him there wouldn’t be any of us.” This reputation would lend him to be referred to as Jazz royalty. With his trumpet and his scat singing he revolutionized Jazz. Though vocally limited, his understanding of how to use his voice beyond his natural abilities led to his perfection of scat (Edwards). Scatting allowed him to perfect his improvisational skill. Scatting, or scat singing would come to be known as the “House that Satch Built” and Armstrong the “Original Man of Scat.”

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: America in the 1920s

    2392 Words  | 5 Pages

    Also known as the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, the American people felt that they deserved to have some fun in order to forget the emotional toll and social scars left from the war. The Jazz Age was appropriately named due to the illegal activities and good times, which included music, parties, and flapper girls. Jazz was a new style of music that originated out of the New Orleans area, where one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time – Louis Armstrong – began his career. The energy of jazz was a very new and almost uncomfortable style for the very traditional, rigid family of the 1920s. Young people in particular seemed to enjoy this new music the most, as it made them feel carefree. The energy of jazz was symbolic of the era’s trans...

    Read More

  • Jazz Influence On Jazz

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    He was known as the Father of Jazz. He was most notable as an entertainer, however, he was a soloist that provided improvisations in regards to tunes. Louis Armstrong's “What a Wonderful World” is the first song that comes to many minds when discussing jazz. He is also well known for his scat singing, However, he also had a political side. In his song “What Did I Do To Be So Black and Blue,” Armstrong talks about the color of his skin as a bad thing and how blacks were treated. In World War II he fulfilled by performing for the soldiers during a recording

    Read More

  • Lewis Armstrong's Influence On Jazz Music

    1499 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lewis Armstrong was to jazz music, Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). This essay will have an introduction to the king of jazz music—— Lewis Armstrong and his great influence on jazz history. It could not be examined when and by whom Jazz music was found. People began hearing jazz music in the early 1900s. It originated from the American in New Orleans city and Jazz founders were mostly black people.

    Read More

  • Jazz Concert Report

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jazz is referred as “America’s classical music,” and is one of North America’s and most celebrated genres. The history of Jazz can be traced back to the early era of the 20th century of the U.S. “A History of Jazz” presents From Ragtime and Blues to Big Band and Bebop, jazz has been a part of a proud African American tradition for over 100 years. A strong rhythmic under-structure, blue notes, solos, “call-and response” patterns, and

    Read More

  • Influence of Jazz on American Culture

    1953 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, the evidence is overwhelming that jazz has left a large impact on American culture. The birth of jazz started with African Americans and has lasted throughout the years because of African Americans. Events such as the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance allowed for artists such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to spread the popularity of jazz. Jazz was able to change how Americans viewed African Americans and their culture and essentially invited Americans into their culture and shape America to where it is today. This change was happened because jazz brought a change to the music scene, acceptance of African Americans, and a change of lifestyles to the everyday people. Although some will never be convinced, but jazz is here to stay.

    Read More

  • Black Music in Toni Morrison's Jazz

    1730 Words  | 4 Pages

    As it mentioned above, the title itself, draws attention to the world-renowned music created by African Americans in the 1920s’ as well as to the book’s jazz-like narrative structure and themes. Jazz is the best-known artistic creation of Harlem Renaissance. “Jazz is the only pure American creation, which shortly after its birth, became America’s most important cultural export”(Ostendorf, 165). It evolved from the blues

    Read More

More about Comparing Louis Armstrong and Etta James

Open Document