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.
Fine And Dandy
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I like your attitude
You are just the kind I've had in mind
Never could find
Honey, I'm so keen on you
I could come to lean on you
On a random bay, give you your way
Gee, it's all fine and dandy
Sugar candy, when I've got you
Then I only see the sunny side
Even trouble has it's funny side
When you're gone, my sugar candy
I get so lonesome, I get blue
But when you're handy
It's fine and dandy
But when you're gone
What can I do?
Louis Armstrong's Fine And Dandy is a love song that conveys the singer's deep admiration for their beloved. It is a declaration of love that speaks to the singer's feelings towards their partner. The song starts with a sincere apology for the obvious compliment being made, followed by a declaration of fascination for the partner's character. The singer has been searching for someone like their lover for a long time, and finally, they have found that person. They express that they are willing to do anything to make their lover happy, even give them their way. The singer is so enamoured and attached to them that they feel that they could depend on them in the long run.
The singer then goes on to describe the beauty of their relationship. Everything becomes fine and dandy when they are together. Life seems like “sugar candy'' with their beloved present. Even when they come across difficulties, it does not seem to matter as they can always find a funny, lighter side to it. However, when the partner is away, the world does not seem like a happy place. The singer becomes lonely and upset. They ask their lover what they will do when they have left, knowing that they bring so much joy to their life.
The song depicts a deep love and connection between two people. It emphasizes the happiness and joy that a person can bring into another person's life. The singer is confident and open about their feelings, and it is a great reminder of the beauty of true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Please forgive this platitude
Please excuse my common remark
But I like your attitude
I appreciate your demeanor
You are just the kind I've had in mind
You fit the exact specifications I've been seeking
Never could find
I couldn't locate someone like you before
Honey, I'm so keen on you
My dear, I am so fond of you
I could come to lean on you
I could become dependent on you
On a random bay, give you your way
On a whim, fulfill your desires
Do what you say
Follow your commands
Gee, it's all fine and dandy
My goodness, everything is excellent and enjoyable
Sugar candy, when I've got you
As sweet as candy, when I have you with me
Then I only see the sunny side
I am optimistic and positive
Even trouble has it's funny side
Difficulties have their humorous aspects
When you're gone, my sugar candy
When you are not with me, my sweetheart
I get so lonesome, I get blue
I become very lonely and sad
But when you're handy
However, when you are nearby
It's fine and dandy
Everything is wonderful and enjoyable
But when you're gone
But when you are not here
What can I do?
What actions am I able to take?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KAY SWIFT, PAUL JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Benjamin Gaskell
The whole thing is a triumph of modest magnificence. Earl Hines's solo on the final run is, I have thought for years, the most inspired and impeccable piece of piano improvisation I ever heard recorded. Ever.
Michael Gatto
it is amazing that so few know how great he was.
Antonio Jiménez
He de confesar que este LP no lo tengo, no lo conozco y no lo he escuchado. Estos tres argumentos definitivos no me impiden presentarlo y hasta recomendarlo. (Cuando sale el nombre de Satchmo son buenos, es como una marca, como Nestlé o mazapanes, Delaviuda)Esto funciona así. Esto es como la vida misma.No es necesarío que sepas de algo, que entiendas de nada, lo importante es que pueda parecerlo, y, sobre todo, facturarlo, cobrarlo. Ahí está el secreto, y, el negocio.de inalatinbag.blogspot.com
Muhammad Ramone
3:43