reloading and shooting and immediately grabbed and arrested Louis who was ultimately sent to The Colored Waifs Home for Boys, which was located on the outskirts of New Orleans then city limits (Bergreen 68-71, Teachout 19). This event would become a life changing event, as Louis for the first time in his life would be under the auspices of a structured control atmosphere, that would be positive juxtaposed with the mean streets of Storyville. Under the guidance of “Captain” Joseph Jones the head of the Boys Home, and “Professor” Peter Davis Louis began to bloom as a youngster, and with Davis’ mentorship his musicianship came alive (Teachout 68-71). Progressing through the different level within the hierarchy of the band, Davis taught and encouraged …show more content…
Louis having him play different instruments, until he eventually became the leader of the band (Bergreen 35-42, Teachout 74-78) Making a triumphant return to his neighborhood leading the band was an inspiration and a foreshadowing of his greatness, as his mother and other family and friends watched with amazement and pride (Bergreen 42). Subsequently Louis was released to his father, in a strange twist but after a short period, kicked out of the house and once again moved back with his mother and sister (Bergreen 38, Teachout 82-84). His real education stared in this period between the ages of fourteen and seventeen as he learned to survive on the streets of Storyville (Bergreen 46, Teachout 82-109). Playing his cornet in different clubs he joined Joe “King” Oliver’s band while working on a coal delivery truck and selling newspapers to help with the family expenses (Bergreen 100, Teachout 104-109). Joe Oliver becomes Louis’ surrogate father and mentor, and this is when his development as a real jazz musician takes place (Bergreen 45-46, Teachout 106). During this period, although very young, Louis encounters, pimps, hustlers, gamblers, prostitutes, even having one himself for a short time, and witness robberies, con artists, and even murder (Bergreen 82-109). All of these elements will contribute to the sound and expressions of his music in later years that will change the American music culture paradigm. It is absolutely amazing, that Louis Armstrong survived this overwhelming deleterious and dangerous environment, in the midst of rampant Jim Crow and legal segregation, coupled with the dysfunctional behavior of the Black ghetto, which out of this miry inner city prison, created one of America’s greatest heroes.
Armstrong was now entering adulthood, although his formative years exposed him to experiences that most people will not approach in a lifetime. Responsibilities increased as he took upon himself the care of his cousin’s child before and after her death, and in later year continued the support after the child was permanently injured in a fall that left him mentally disabled for the rest of his life (Bergreen 100-101). Working in different clubs under the auspices of a prominent gangster, registering for the draft, although he was too young during the days of WWI, joining the band of New Orleans’ famous musician and trombonist, Kid Ory, as his mentor Joe Oliver left for Chicago were some of the events during this burgeoning transition into adulthood. Correlating with this turbulent environment was Louis’ infatuation with a local prostitute named Daisy Parker, which eventually led to his first marriage. The marriage was incredibly tumultuous as even before they were hitched, Daisy was involved with a common-law husband who intervened one of the new couple’s rendezvous’ and was trying to extract revenge with furious jealous rage, by cutting Daisy with a razor. Louis who had experienced a similar incident earlier in life, had pledged to never thrust himself in that predicament again, thus found it was déjà vu. Despite family disapproval of Louis marrying a known prostitute, he went through with the ceremony only to regret it immediately, as the relationship was a constant theater of fighting, being thrust in jail, reconciling, and repeating the same scenario over again. Eventually both began to take on other lover, and numerous time Louis was awakened from his
sleep with Daisy hovering over him with a knife or razor threatening to kill him. The old axiom the “God watches over babies and fools, “would certainly apply to Louis and he acknowledged this by relating to these experiences, “That’s why I always said the Lord was with me.” (Bergreen 138). Only lasting “four years of torture and bliss,” as Louis knew he had to get away from Daisy or someone was going to end of dead, reluctantly joined Fate Marable’s band and decided to leave New Orleans for the first time in his life. Louis Armstrong’s legend was beginning to develop as being aboard the Dixie Belle riverboat, a steamer a member of the line belonging to the Streckfus Steamboat Line that provided live entertainment for guests helped him gain the skill and notoriety that he started in New Orleans (Bergreen 144-147, Caffey 72-96, Teachout 51-57). In Louis Armstrong’s first autobiography, Swing That Music, he talks about the Dixie Belle was docked in New Orleans at Canal Street on the Mississippi River from November through April, but would set out north when spring arrived. Excursing to cities like Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Natchez, Mississippi, Vicksburg, Ms., Greenville, Ms., Phillips, Arkansas, Memphis, Tennessee, Caruthersville, Missouri., Cairo, Illinois, Paducah, Kentucky, and finally docking at St. Louis, Mo (pgs. 41-53). Unique in his experience was playing in Fate Marable’s Orchestra was that it consisted of a twelve-piece band, as Louis was used to the seven-member bands like King Ory, or Joe Oliver’s five piece bands, and the fact that he began to learn how to read music was instrumental in building his musical repertoire (Teachout 56-60). This trip was important as its history debunks the idea that the migration of jazz was a straight direct movement from New Orleans to Chicago, Illinois, but that it’s music and influence spread all over the country (Teachout 52-53). Additionally, a career and life changing event was waiting for Louis after his return from the excursions on the riverboat. Arriving back home in New Orleans he played with various bands when a telegram arrived from his mentor Joe Oliver, who had traveled to Chicago and had always told Louis that he would send for him one day (Bergreen 172-173, Giddins 25, Teachout 57-59). Reluctantly, Louis decided to make the trip and joined his idol, whose offer of pay was more than his present earnings, to Chicago in 1922 Bergreen 173-175, Teachout 59). While playing in this famous band, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Louis began to gather a following as his style of playing as second cornet behind Oliver gave notice to musicians and audiences in the city that a new budding star was on the scene (Bergreen 198-206, Teachout 65-78). During this time period evidence of Louis’ budding greatness was expressed as he was involved in his first recordings with the Creole Jazz Band (Bergreen 198-206, 65-66). Warren “Baby” Dodds the drummer for the band commented how recording of the thirty-seven songs in 1923, Nobody took the job as work. We took it as play, we loved it. I used to hate when it was time to Knock off. Teachout comments. The pleasure of which Dodds spoke is evident … Of their significance, however, there can be no doubt: they are the first recordings in which a black jazz band can be heard in a representative cross section repertoire, as well as the earliest surviving sonic documentation of the greatest jazz musician of the twentieth century. Moreover, the pianist for the band was Lillian “Lil” Harden, who was three years his senior than the twenty-one-year-old Louis. After their initial introduction, in which Lil was unimpressed with the overweight short in stature Armstrong, eventually developed a friendship that turned into romance and them matrimony in 1924 (Bergreen 181, Teachout 75). Lil, who told everyone of her prestigious education at Fisk University, one of the historically Black Universities established for African Americans to counter segregated schools, and that she was valedictorian and a degree in music (Bergreen 181-182, Teachout 75). Although, the truth is she only attended the school for a year after being disenchanted with her treatment and curriculum that denigrated her playing abilities on the piano (Bergreen 181-183 Teachout 75). It would be Lil who push Louis to leave Joe Oliver, partly because of the discord over money, and to free Louis from his mentor and surrogate father and his artistic abilities so to enable the world to see what would be the greatest entertainer the world has known. Louis would go on to play with Fletcher Henderson’s band in his first trip to New York, create his own bands with Lil, The Hot Five and Hot Seven.
For centuries, music has been defined by history, time, and place. To address this statement, Tom Zè, an influential songwriter during the Tropicália Movement, produced the revolutionary “Fabrication Defect” to challenge oppression as a result from the poor political and social conditions. On the other hand, David Ramsey discusses, in mixtape vignettes, the role of music to survive in New Orleans’ violent setting. Furthermore, “The Land where the Blues Began”, by Alan Lomax, is a film and perfect example to understand under what musical conditions profound ways of communication are made to stand the hard work of cotton plantations. As a result, music plays a crucial role in the sources’ cultures and its creation relies on particular conditions such as the social
She used her mother’s maiden name, Macdonald, when she was filling in a form, sometimes she wrote the name of her stepfather. When she was thirteen, she was married to Willy Wells. They stayed together for two months, but Josephine never saw Willy as a significant partner as she once broke a bottle of beer on his head. She tried to forget this marriage.
In the short story, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,” by Tim O’Brien, the author shows that no matter what the circumstances were, the people that were exposed to the Vietnam War were affected greatly. A very young girl named Mary Anne Bell was brought by a boyfriend to the war in Vietnam. When she arrived she was a bubbly young girl, and after a few weeks, she was transformed into a hard, mean killer.
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
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.
In “The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong,” Rat Kiley recounts the time when Mark Fossie brought in his girlfriend, Mary Anne Bell, from Ohio to Nam. Mary Anne is a curious and very friendly seventeen-year- old girl who just graduated from high school. She constantly asks questions about the war. Tension grows between Mary Anne and Mark when Mary Anne starts to become more involved in the war. She helps with taking care of the injured soldiers and learns how to operate an M-16. Mark suggests that the two of them go back home, but Mary Anne refuses. She begins to return to the camp late at night, or not at all. One day in the early morning, Mark cannot find Mary Anne and panics, only to discover that she is out on an ambush with the Green Berets. Mark has a talk with Mary Anne in which they make plans to get married. However, over the next several weeks, an undeniable tension grows between the two. Mary Anne suddenly disappears after Mark starts to make plans for her return home. After about three weeks, Mary Anne returns to the camp and disappears into the Special Forces area, and Mark waits for her there. He hears a woman, Mary Anne, chanting along with strange music and bursts into the hootch to confront her. O’Brien uses disturbing imagery to emphasize how the war takes away one’s innocence and changes one forever.
and the people around him. His mother did not even care enough to keep his birth
Throughout history, and even today, music has shaped America’s culture, society, and even politics. One of the most outstanding and enduring musical movement has been from African American artists, ranging from bebop to jazz to hip-hop to rap. During the 1920’s , jazz artists stepped into the limelight and began their impact on American and even world history. Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential leaders during the Harlem Renaissance and his jazz legacy and impact of American history is everlasting. A master of his craft, Armstrong and his music heavily influenced America’s white and black populations from the 1920’s and up until his death.
Communication comes in many forms: written words, spoken words, sign language, pictures, gestures, etc. Each of these forms of communications can be an effective way to express oneself. The ways to communicate are as numerous and diverse as the people who use them to convey their thoughts and ideas. One of the most universal forms of expression is music. Music can be a combination of several forms of communication or just simple sounds that move the soul.
At first things didn’t look to bright for Carver’s future, he tried to enlist into the school in Diamond Grove, but was turned down because of racism. They told Carver that African American’s were not permitted to attend the school. With the news of this, George left home on his own, to attend a color school in the community of Neosho. He had to find someone who ...
Music is an art that has been in this world for tens of thousands of years and has proven
Louis Armstrong was known as the King of jazz, a trumpeter and singer who was one of the most influential figures in jazz music. Famous for his innovative methods of playing the trumpet and cornet, he was also a highly talented singer blessed with a powerful voice. Known for his skills on being able improvise, he would bend and twist the many lyrics and melody of a song with dramatic effect. As his popularity grew in the mid-20th century America when racism was more prevalent, he was one of the first African-American entertainers to be highly popular among both the white and the colored segments of the society. Fondly nicknamed Satchmo or Pops by his fans, he is often regarded to be the founding father of jazz as a uniquely American art form. Born into poverty in New Orleans, he had a very difficult childhood after his father abandoned the family. As a young boy, he
The content is written in the style of the blues not only in the music but in the social perspective of the times in Harlem in respect to the sufferings and struggles of the African-American past and present experiences, and what they were going to encount...
“I always thought that music had no boundaries, no limits to where it could grow and go, no restrictions its creativity. Good musicians no matter what kind of music it is. And I always hated categories. Always. Never thought it had any place in music.”(Davis 230) Jazz music is a art form that the first jazz musicians used to step out of the racist frame. Jazz singers strive to inspire people with their gospel tones but were often criticized for their truthful lyrics. Artists like Louis Armstrong , Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis are just a few that have been noticed for their works although all of the jazz artists throughout the jazz age should take credit for the historical civil rights movement. The popularity of jazz music in the twentieth century helped to progress the civil rights movement, challenged segregation laws and created a lasting American art form.
NGUYEN, HIEU—12/05/13 Louis Armstrong Hot Five November 12, 1925 Kid Ory plays trombone, Johnny Dodds plays clarinet, Johnny St. Cyr plays banjo, Lil Armstrong plays piano, and Louis Armstrong cornet. In 1920, the Jazz music emerged in the City of New Orleans and from there, there were also many great New Orleans Jazz musicians. Jazz is a music style that combines three main elements: improvisation, bluesy flavor and swing feeling. Often, African Americans play Jazz on the streets of New Orleans and they start to form bands and perform for people without charging them money. In the early history of Jazz, there was one major artist that had major contributions to Jazz, his name was Louis Armstrong.