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.
C Jam Blues
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wildest box in town is Duke's place
Love that piano sound in Duke's place
Saxes do their tricks in Duke's place
Fellas swing their chicks in Duke's place
Come on, get your kicks in Duke's place
You find yourself a seat, and when you want to eat
You fill your cup chock full of dreams and drink it up
You're jetting along with your girlie
It's after three o'clock, but, baby, it's still early
If you've never been to Duke's place
Take your tootsies into Duke's place
Life is in a spin in Duke's place
Louis Armstrong's song "C-Jam Blues" features the above lyrics that exalt the exciting atmosphere of Duke's Place, which is presented as the wildest box in town. The song portrays Duke's Place as a hub of entertainment featuring a unique piano sound that fills the air, and saxes that perform their tricks. The lyrics portray Duke's Place as the ultimate party spot where the patrons freely swing their chicks, fill their cups chock full of dreams, and live life to the fullest. The patrons at Duke's Place are depicted as people who refuse to let the time of the night dampen their fun since it's always early in Duke's Place, and they revel in the party's energy until dawn. The lyrics of this song serve to highlight the upbeat nature of jazz music, a sound that is often associated with Duke Ellington, a music icon that Duke's Place may be named after.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, take me down to Duke's place
Please take me to Duke's place
Wildest box in town is Duke's place
Duke's place is the most exciting spot in town
Love that piano sound in Duke's place
I really enjoy the piano music at Duke's place
Saxes do their tricks in Duke's place
The saxophones play some impressive music at Duke's place
Fellas swing their chicks in Duke's place
Men are dancing with their girlfriends at Duke's place
Come on, get your kicks in Duke's place
Let's have some fun and enjoy ourselves at Duke's place
You find yourself a seat, and when you want to eat
Once you've found a seat and are ready to order food
You look around and yell waiter
You get the attention of the waiter by calling out to them
You fill your cup chock full of dreams and drink it up
You indulge in your dreams and desires
You're jetting along with your girlie
You're dancing and having fun with your girlfriend
It's after three o'clock, but, baby, it's still early
Even though it's late, the night is still young
If you've never been to Duke's place
If you haven't experienced Duke's place before
Take your tootsies into Duke's place
Go and visit Duke's place
Life is in a spin in Duke's place
Duke's place is a lively and exciting place to be
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonaspianotutor
me gusta mucho el solo de clarinete...
@xiqotony9351
his smile is too addictive and his music is the best of it's kind!! =DDDD
@da11king
damn +! that clarinet player! great the tempo....rockin n rhytm reference too!!!! wow! love it!
@Milewskige
Who is the clarinet soloist?
@kayserbondor
Edmund Hall ?
@tanhongzhi2637
Barney Bigard
@edmondnagy4784
Barney Bigard clarinete.
@tanhongzhi2637
Edmond Nagy thanks! I think he is also the soloist for Kay Starr-After You've gone right?