Louis Armstrong Essay

Louis Armstrong: a Man Full of Surprises Louis Armstrong was an amazing trumpet player. Not only did he play the trumpet, he also was a bandleader, an amazing composer, singer, soloist, and comedian and also starred in films. One of the songs that Louis Armstrong is recognized for his recording of “What a Wonderful World”. Armstrong defined what it truly means to play Jazz. Armstrong was born on August fourth of 1901. Many biographies have the wrong date on Armstrong’s birthday being July fourth of 1900. This was because Louis didn’t know his actual birthday. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a poor family of a branch of former slaves. The slaves of the Armstrong family ended with Louis’s grandparents. Louis Armstrong’s parents

Louis was arrested and sent to a home named Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. This is where it is thought that Armstrong was given his first lessons on the cornet. In fact, Louis had borrowed money from the Karnofsky family to buy his own cornet before getting arrested. The band director Peter Davis of the Waif’s band did instruct him while in the home. Louis soon became the leader of the home’s band. The Waif’s band played around the town of New Orleans. During these years Armstrong fell in love with the instrument and wanted a life playing and writing music. In 1914 the house released Louis, he live with William, his father who he only say in parades growing up, for a short while before returns to live with his mother soon after. Once Louis was living with his mother he began taking lessons from the famous Joe “King” Oliver. This is the man who Louis Armstrong gives all credit for his trumpet playing success. After returning back home Armstrong began doing odd end jobs to support the family such as coal and newspaper delivering. On top of the jobs Louis played in honky-tonks in New Orleans. This is where Armstrong’s music career took

That year they also record their first songs “My Heart” and “Yes! I’m In The Barrel”. The band played in Armstrong’s style known as “Satchmo way”. This style of music became very popular around the world. Armstrong’s band included himself and his wife Lil Hardin, Kid Ory, Johnny Dodds and Johnny St. Cyr. All of whom had played with Armstrong in New Orleans. The band’s name changed to the hot seven in 1927 due to the adding of new members. In 1928 Louis Armstrong and His Stompers recorded a very famous early jazz piece, “West End Blues”. From 1925-28 the bands that Armstrong was a part of recorded over sixty