Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, … Read Full Bio ↴Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an inventive trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance. With his instantly-recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes. He was also skilled at scat singing (vocalizing using sounds and syllables instead of actual lyrics).
Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to "cross over", whose skin-color was secondary to his music in an America that was severely racially divided. He rarely publicly politicized his race, often to the dismay of fellow African-Americans, but took a well-publicized stand for desegregation during the Little Rock Crisis. His artistry and personality allowed him socially acceptable access to the upper echelons of American society that were highly restricted for a black man.
Armstrong was born and brought up in New Orleans, a culturally diverse town with a unique musical mix of creole, ragtime, marching bands, and blues. Although from an early age he was able to play music professionally, he didn't travel far from New Orleans until 1922, when he went to Chicago to join his mentor, King Oliver. Oliver's band played primitive jazz, a hotter style of ragtime, with looser rhythms and more improvisation, and Armstrong's role was mostly backing. Slow to promote himself, he was eventually persuaded by his wife Lil Hardin to leave Oliver, and In 1924 he went to New York to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. At the time, there were a few other artists using the rhythmic innovations of the New Orleans style, but none did it with the energy and brilliance of Armstrong, and he quickly became a sensation among New York musicians. Back in Chicago in 1925, he made his first recordings with his own group, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, and these became not only popular hits but also models for the first generation of jazz musicians, trumpeters or otherwise.
Other hits followed through the twenties and thirties, as well as troubles: crooked managers, lip injuries, mob entanglements, failed big-band ventures. As jazz styles changed, though, musical purists never lost any respect for him -- although they were sometimes irritated by his hammy onstage persona. Around the late forties, with the help of a good manager, Armstrong's business affairs finally stablilized, and he began to be seen as an elder statesman of American popular entertainment, appearing in Hollywood films, touring Asia and Europe, and dislodging The Beatles from the number-one position with Hello Dolly". Today many people may know him as a singer (a good one), but as Miles Davis said: “You can’t play nothing on modern trumpet that doesn’t come from him."
The 62-year-old Armstrong became the oldest act to top the US charts when "Hello Dolly" reached #1 in 1964. Four years later Satchmo also became the oldest artist to record a UK #1, when "What a Wonderful World" hit the top spot.
Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an inventive trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance. With his instantly-recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes. He was also skilled at scat singing (vocalizing using sounds and syllables instead of actual lyrics).
Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to "cross over", whose skin-color was secondary to his music in an America that was severely racially divided. He rarely publicly politicized his race, often to the dismay of fellow African-Americans, but took a well-publicized stand for desegregation during the Little Rock Crisis. His artistry and personality allowed him socially acceptable access to the upper echelons of American society that were highly restricted for a black man.
Armstrong was born and brought up in New Orleans, a culturally diverse town with a unique musical mix of creole, ragtime, marching bands, and blues. Although from an early age he was able to play music professionally, he didn't travel far from New Orleans until 1922, when he went to Chicago to join his mentor, King Oliver. Oliver's band played primitive jazz, a hotter style of ragtime, with looser rhythms and more improvisation, and Armstrong's role was mostly backing. Slow to promote himself, he was eventually persuaded by his wife Lil Hardin to leave Oliver, and In 1924 he went to New York to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. At the time, there were a few other artists using the rhythmic innovations of the New Orleans style, but none did it with the energy and brilliance of Armstrong, and he quickly became a sensation among New York musicians. Back in Chicago in 1925, he made his first recordings with his own group, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, and these became not only popular hits but also models for the first generation of jazz musicians, trumpeters or otherwise.
Other hits followed through the twenties and thirties, as well as troubles: crooked managers, lip injuries, mob entanglements, failed big-band ventures. As jazz styles changed, though, musical purists never lost any respect for him -- although they were sometimes irritated by his hammy onstage persona. Around the late forties, with the help of a good manager, Armstrong's business affairs finally stablilized, and he began to be seen as an elder statesman of American popular entertainment, appearing in Hollywood films, touring Asia and Europe, and dislodging The Beatles from the number-one position with Hello Dolly". Today many people may know him as a singer (a good one), but as Miles Davis said: “You can’t play nothing on modern trumpet that doesn’t come from him."
The 62-year-old Armstrong became the oldest act to top the US charts when "Hello Dolly" reached #1 in 1964. Four years later Satchmo also became the oldest artist to record a UK #1, when "What a Wonderful World" hit the top spot.
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The Decca Singles 1949-1958
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
(When We Are Dancin') I Get Ideas When we are dancing and you're dangerously near me I get…
A Kiss to Build a Dream On Give me a kiss to build a dream on And my…
April in Portugal April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom Holiday tables under t…
Baby It's Cold Outside I really can't stay Mama it's cold outside I've got to go…
Because of You Because of you there's a song in my heart Because of…
Big Butter and Eggman Now she wants a butter an egg man From way out…
Blueberry Hill I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill On Blueberry Hill when…
Bye and Bye Kita adalah saudara Dari rahim ibu pertiwi Ditempa oleh gelo…
C'est Si Bon (It's So Good) C'est si bon Lovers say that in france When they thrill to…
Can Anyone Explain? Can anyone explain the thrill of a kiss? No no…
Christmas In New Orleans Magnolia trees at night, sparkling bright Fields of cotton l…
Christmas Night In Harlem Hallelujah, Hallelujah, glory, Halle What's all that noise? …
Congratulations to Someone Congratulations to someone Someone who's happy with you I gu…
Dream a Little Dream of Me Stars shining bright above you Night breezes seem to whisper…
Fine And Dandy Please forgive this platitude But I like your attitude You…
Gone Fishin' I'll tell you why I can't find ya Every time to…
I Can't Give You Anything but Love I can't give you anything but love, Baby, That's the only…
I Laughed at Love I can't give you anything but love Baby That's the only thin…
I'll Keep The Lovelight Burning I'll keep the lovelight burning in my heart So that you…
I'll String Along With You I'll string along, string along String along with you, dear …
Indian Love Call When I'm calling you Will you answer too? That means I o…
Kiss of Fire I touch your lips and all at once the sparks…
La vie en rose Hold me close and hold me fast The magic spell you…
Lazy Bones Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun....how you spect to get your…
Life Is So Peculiar Oh life (is so peculiar), (you get so wet in…
Maybe It's Because Maybe it's because the kiss you gave me Touched my heart…
Moments to Remember January to December, we'll have moments to remember The N…
Muskrat Ramble Hey now, heh! What's the reason for this celebration? Man, …
My Bucket's Got a Hole In It Oh, the bucket's got a hole in it Hmm, the bucket's…
New Orleans Function Magnolia trees at night, sparkling bright Fields of cotton l…
On The Sunny Side Of The Street Grab your coat Grab your hat, baby Leave your worries on the…
Only You Only you Can make this world seem right Only you Can make…
Oops! Oops, my heart went oops The moment that we met my…
Pledging My Love Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Pretty Little Missy Pretty Little Missy, give me little kissy, baby Sweetie litt…
Ramona I wander out yonder o'er the hills Where the mountains high …
Russian Lullaby Where the dreamy Volga flows There's a lonely Russian rose G…
Sincerely Sincerely, oh yes, sincerely 'Cause I love you so dearly, pl…
That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day) Up in the mornin' Out on the job Work like the devil…
That's My Desire To spend one night with you in our old rendezvous, And…
The Whiffenpoof Song To the tables down at Mory's, to the place where…
Trees I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely…
When It's Sleepy Time Down South Pale moon shining on the fields below Folks are crooning son…
When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) When you're smilin' keep on smilin' The whole world smiles w…
Who Walks in When I Walk Out? Who walks in when I walk out? Who gives you that…
Would You Like to Take a Walk? I saw you strolling by your solitary Am I nosy? Very,…
You're a Heavenly Thing They took the moonlight out of the skies And put the…
You're just in love I hear singing and there's no one there I smell blossoms…
You're the Apple of My Eye You're the apple of my eye You're luscious and you're sweet…
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on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world