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.
Bugle Call Rag
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're gonna brag 'bout the Bugle Call Rag.
Thin or fat, young or old;
Shake their shoulders bold.
You're bound to fall for the bugle call;
You're gonna brag 'bout the Bugle Call Rag.
Hold me baby; Let's syncopate to that blue melody;
Just hesitate while a break they take Shh!
Louis Armstrong's "Bugle Call Rag" is a lively and energetic jazz classic that captures the essence of the swing era. The lyrics highlight the irresistible appeal of the bugle call, a traditional military signal used for communication during battles. The song is an invitation to join in on the fun and dance to the infectious beat of the bugle call rag. The opening lines suggest that resistance is futile as anyone who hears the bugle call will inevitably fall under its spell.
The call to action is further emphasized with the phrase "You're gonna brag 'bout the Bugle Call Rag," indicating that those who succumb to the call will not be able to resist boasting about their experience. The song celebrates the universality of music, as people of all shapes, ages, and sizes are encouraged to shake their shoulders boldly and join in on the party. The call for synchronization and lively steps indicates that the bugle call rag is not just music but an experience that demands active participation.
Line by Line Meaning
You're bound to fall for the bugle call;
The bugle call is irresistible and you can't help but be drawn to it.
You're gonna brag 'bout the Bugle Call Rag.
The Bugle Call Rag is so impressive that you'll brag about it to others.
Thin or fat, young or old;
Regardless of your physical appearance or age,
Shake their shoulders bold.
you'll eagerly move your shoulders in a bold manner.
Hold me baby; Let's syncopate to that blue melody;
Hold me close and let's dance rhythmically to that soulful tune.
Just hesitate while a break they take Shh!
Wait momentarily and be quiet while the band takes a brief pause.
While we're dancing please hold me tight; step lively don't lag.
As we dance, please hold me closely and move energetically without falling behind the beat.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY MEYERS, ELMER SCHOEBEL, JOHN PETTIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@novelliification
É O GRANDE GÊNIO, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, O HOMEM QUE REINVENTOU O JAZZ! SEU TRUMPET, TEM UMA SONORIDADE ÚNICA, JAMAIS IGUALADA!
@Rickriquinho
This is a Dream Band!
@hanslindquist9765
hans lindquist great trumpetsolo. Wunderful!
@elshadbagirow9537
yeahh!!!! lovely
@LaurentJames
Le fameux concert des All Stars à New York le 26 avril 1950.
@MrKlemps
Laurent James: This was not a "live concert" but rather a recording. There is, however, a Decca double-CD containing the COMPLETE Pasadena concert in which there is an even greater version of the medley contained here. It has a longer, more furious, yet "compositional" drum solo by Cozy Cole.