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.
A Monday Date
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh little baby, don't be late
I said don't forget our Monday date
ct the same little place, about half past eight
Now I'm gonna press my suit
I'm gonna shine my shoes
I'm gonna spread the news
cnd I'm gonna chase away the blues
Please, baby, don't be late
The lyrics to Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven's song "A Monday Date" are a testament to the joy and anticipation of a romantic rendezvous. The singer urges his lover not to forget their Monday date, encouraging her to be punctual so they can meet at their usual spot at half past eight. He is excited to see her and has taken care to look his best, polishing his shoes, pressing his suit and chasing away the blues. The song is a celebration of the simple pleasures of life, such as spending time with loved ones and taking pride in one's appearance.
The lyrics to "A Monday Date" are indicative of Louis Armstrong's signature style, which blends elements of jazz, blues, and swing. His raspy voice and unique improvisational style are instantly recognizable and beloved by fans all over the world. The song was released in 1928 and has since become a classic of the jazz genre, with its lively melody and catchy lyrics capturing the relaxed vibe of the roaring twenties.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't forget our Monday date
Remember our appointment on Monday
Oh little baby, don't be late
Please arrive on time, my dear
I said don't forget our Monday date
I'm emphasizing the importance of our meeting
At the same little place, about half past eight
We'll meet at the usual spot at 8:30pm
Now I'm gonna press my suit
I will iron my clothing
I'm gonna shine my shoes
I'll polish my footwear
I'm gonna spread the news
I'll inform others about our meeting
And I'm gonna chase away the blues
I won't let any negativity affect me or our date
So don't forget our Monday date
Again, I'm reminding you not to miss our appointment
Please, baby, don't be late
I'm kindly requesting that you arrive on time
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jvbryant
Hoagie Carmichael: “Louis Armstrong was recording in Chicago and his West End Blues had started a real career for him. Louis had started to vocalize, a guttural style that shook us; his record of Monday Date with Don Redman in sax and Papa Hines at piano gave us new wonderment.”
Sometimes I Wonder, 1965
@bobboscarato1313
Atticus Thanks for publishing this old jewel which I haven't heard in some years!
@montsepasten2580
que bonitas las fotos T-o-T <3333
@electrowavez1680
You know this is old when you heard Louis call somebody else pops
@gcurioso1974
Lindas fotos
@judyglasel5870
❤️💥💙💥❤️ 🥰
@eustace8520
Anyone got the lyrics?