Free Custom «Louis Armstrong» Essay Paper

Everybody has heard the sounds of sweet and playful jazz music at least once in his/her life. Jazz musicians improvise, spontaneously making connections between their personal experience and repertoire. Moreover, using a large number of instruments, they create the spirit of the sound that gives listeners an opportunity to feel a sense of moving time. Each jazz musician has his/her own personal sound that helps him/her reveal his/her individuality through music. Being one of the most famous jazz musicians, Louis Armstrong not only had a unique performance style but also made a great contribution to the whole history of jazz music.

The Musician’s Life and Career

Being born in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong led a poor life. His father abandoned the family right after Louis’s birth, and his mother should work hard to earn money. When Louis was in the fifth grade, he had to leave school and start working. Trying to find any kind of job, he even collected junk. Later, he also delivered coal throughout the whole city. As Louis Armstrong was good-tempered, he was often invited to meals by the family that employed him. Moreover, having discovered the singing talent of Louis, they encouraged him to sing. A certain incident gave birth to Armstrong’s love for music. On New Year’s Eve, Louis accidentally fired his stepfather’s gun. As a result, the police immediately arrested Armstrong and placed him into the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. He was taught to play the cornet there. After Louis was released from the juvenile detention facility, he started dreaming of becoming a famous musician. Continuing his work as a newspaper seller and coal deliverer, Armstrong began his musical career as a blues player. At the age of sixteen, he married Daisy Parker and adopted his cousin’s son after her death. He often played at various parades and listened to older musicians each time he got a chance. Joe Oliver, a great cornet player, mentored young Armstrong, giving him an opportunity to realize his musical potential. Louis’s reputation as a good musician began to grow; therefore, one day he got Oliver’s position in Kid Ory’s band, the most famous band of that time in New Orleans. Later, Louis joined brass bands and played his songs on riverboats of New Orleans. He was also accepted into famous Fate Marable’s band that usually made tours along the Mississippi River.

Speaking about Armstrong’s early career achievements in jazz music, it should be mentioned that when the musician collaborated with King Oliver in Chicago, he recorded his first solo on "Chimes Blues." Soon Armstrong married Lilian Hardin, a pianist from his band, who persuaded him to join Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra that was the most popular African-American band in New York City. Armstrong showed his own concept of swing music while performing with this orchestra. However, being oppressed by Henderson’s musicians due to his manner of dressing and talking, Louis left the band and returned to Chicago with his wife. In Chicago, OKeh Records gave Armstrong an opportunity to make his own records. Louis with his Hot Five and Hot Seven made more than 60 records. Nowadays, these records are regarded as the most influential recordings in the history of jazz. For example, such songs as "Cornet Chop Suey" and "Potato Head Blues" influenced jazz performance because of their wide range of rhythms and high notes. Due to his popularity, Armstrong began playing in many other venues of Chicago and New York. He also appeared in some movies and made a tour of England. Although he was appreciated by musicians, critics wrote numerous racist reviews of his career. After such an unpleasant incident and problems with his lips, Armstrong took some time off.  Later, he turned to Joe Glaser, who helped him find a new big band. Armstrong continued to appear in numerous movies and wrote his own autobiography. Meanwhile, the era of big bands began to fall, and Armstrong started to perform all over the world, including Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Louis Armstrong’s Contribution to Jazz Music

Louis Armstrong made a great contribution to the development of jazz. He gave a new meaning to such jazz notions as a soloist and ensemble. Moreover, Armstrong added more rhythm to dancehall music, making it more alive. Louis tried to integrate the features of the jazz style of his hometown into Broadway jazz. During his career, he cooperated with a great number of famous musicians. Joe Oliver, Louis’s famous friend, taught him the basics of jazz. Armstrong also collaborated with Ella Fitzgerald. They both had strong voices complementing each other. They released three albums, one of which was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Armstrong had a good working relationship with Jack Teagarden. He also cooperated with Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter, Clarence Williams’ Blue Five, Bessie Smith, Erskine Tate, and others.

As long as Armstrong enjoyed many kinds of music, including blues, folk songs, classical symphonies, and opera, he tried to integrate them into his own performances. Consequently, a range of songs which Armstrong produced during his career is influential. His most famous songs are "Hebbie Jeebies," "What a Wonderful World," "La Vie en Rose," and "We Have All the Time in the World." "Hebbie Jeebies" is an example of the combination of different jazz techniques. In this song, Louis reveals his musical individuality through rhythmic improvisation. "What a Wonderful World," "La Vie en Rose," and "We Have All the Time in the World" are the songs that propagandize the topic of love and world peace. They motivate people to enjoy life because nothing lasts forever. The tone of the songs is optimistic, and the mood is calm and cheerful. Moreover, all Armstrong’s songs encourage people to avoid hatred and violence. The musician thinks that the world is a beautiful place to live in, and everybody should fight for peace.

Armstrong and Racism

Being an African American, Louis Armstrong was accepted into white society. He often dined at the restaurant and stayed at hotels for only white people. However, Louis never abused his privileged status and shared his access with his friends on occasion. Despite this fact, some African Americans blamed him for being a member of the white community. Armstrong was criticized by some musicians for playing for the detached audience and not participating in the American Civil Rights Movement. For many years Armstrong did not speak about the issue of race. When responding to numerous critics who condemned him for not influencing the fight for civil rights, he said that did not want to be involved in any political issues. However, the incident that happened at Central High School when nine black students were barred from studying there pushed Armstrong to expressed his thoughts. First in his life, Louis defended the rights of the students and revealed the real face of President Dwight Eisenhower. After he accused Eisenhower of racism, the public reaction was swift. Radio stations stopped playing his records, and many musicians criticized him for not talking about that issue earlier and boycotted his concerts. Moreover, the FBI began tracking Armstrong’s activity due to his public call for change.

To summarize, Louis Armstrong is one of the most popular jazz musicians who ever lived. He made an important contribution to the development of jazz music. Combining various styles and using improvisation techniques, Armstrong changed the people’s vision of the nature of jazz. Moreover, he recorded a large number of songs which are still performed, interpreted, and appreciated all over the world. Armstrong sang about love and world peace, the topics which remain relevant nowadays. Although the musician was involved in political issues, his music was of primary importance even during that time.