The Jazz Legend: Louis Armstrong

The Jazz Legend: Louis Armstrong

For every music genre, there is usually an outstanding figure of whom people think first. For jazz music, one of the most influential music genres in twentieth century, this figure, undoubtedly, is Louis Armstrong. As Tirro states, “Louis Armstrong was a legend in his own time, and some would even say that he is the single greatest figure in the Jazz Hall Of Fame” (1977:184). There is no doubt that Armstrong’s contributions to the early development of jazz music are unforgettable. Rising promptly in the early 1920s, the same time when jazz music started to thrive in the United States, Louis Armstrong received adoration from thousands of audience and became very successful in the early jazz scene. In fact, Armstrong’s legendary life leaves modern jazz artists and music virtuosos many treasures, some of which even exceed the boundary of music. Louis Armstrong’s excellent improvisation ability, his energetic stage style and his unique scat singing skill were very influential to the formation of early jazz music. Also, his ardent love to his race raised him from a gifted jazz musician to an important African American culture icon.

Although born in a chaotic environment in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong tenaciously survived and gradually won a bit of a reputation as a trumpeter. Armstrong was born in a poor black community in New Orleans in 1901. Unlike many others who gave up on living in the neighborhood, Armstrong started working very early to support his family. At the same time, under the influence of the deeply rooted African American music in New Orleans area, he began to pick up cornet and practiced very hard under the instruction of Professor Peter Davis (Tirro 1977:184). The turning point of Armstrong’s life was when he met Joe “King” Oliver, an already famous cornet player and bandleader in New Orleans. Oliver played a mentor and father role in young Armstrong’s life. As Tirro states, Armstrong “made no real progress on his...