Louis Armstrong and Friends: "When The Saints Go Marching In"
I'm afraid I'm a little bit at a loss for words on this one... What do you say about a man who is the beginning and end of all things Jazz? I'm sure that even the most musically illiterate kids know who "Satchmo" is. But as much as I know about him, I keep discovering new things myself.
All I'm going to say is that if you have even a passing interest in Jazz, you absolutely need Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens recordings. And of his later records, the affectionate tributes to W.C. Handy and Fats Waller are standouts.
Armstrong was known as the "Ambassador of Jazz". His trumpet continues to represent it well, and continues to speak to everyone... even those of us who are far removed from New Orleans in the early part of the 20th century, where the greatest American artistic achievement began. Louis Armstrong IS Jazz.
Guestblogger Stephen Worth is the Director of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, a museum, library and digital archive devoted to the use of professional artists and students.
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Amazing musical posts Stephen. They might eat up my whole night.
To assert that Armstrong is both beginning AND end of "all things jazz" is to not only overstate the man's achievements, but also to denigrate the boundary-pushing work of those who followed in his footsteps. It also serves to hermetically seal one definition of jazz as the only one that matters, and to be not only enslaved to the past, but to hold up the white-boy music critic perspective as the last word on the matter.
I think that MIles Davis and John Coltrane might historically disagree with your conclusions, and that The Bad Plus, Brad Mehldau, Hans Petter-Molvaer, Derek Bailey, and Todd Sickafoose might presently disagree with them.
Yes, Louis Armstrong was obviously a tremendously important figure and talent in the history of jazz - but jazz far from ended with him. Consider that he predated bebop, cool, post-bop, free, and afro-cuban forms of the genre.
As much as I agree that he's essential listening, I wouldn't say that the work of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, or Wayne Shorter's current quarter are any less essential.
ahh 'one of the good old good ones' as louis would say...not to take anything a way from the maestro, but he did also put out a coupla silos fulla corn in his career as well...this clip had me grinnin from ear to ear tho, & i was mesmerized by that lovely twisting frail thruout...solid jackson!
Amazing that a tune essentially about the apocalyptic judgment could be turned into one of the biggest feel-good jazz classics of the century...
Well, for the born again, Judgement Day is a day for celebration.
Good on you for linking to the JSP box. The CBS Sony version of the Hot Sevens and Fives is ghastly, through and through (and more expensive as well).
I studied Armstrong's career and i'm amazed as to how much he did to promote jazz throughout his life, and his ability to overcome discrimination, jealousy, and international differences is nothing short of astonishing.
Before Satchmo people didnt think that the trumpet could even make those sounds. He blew people's minds back when he started and still manages to do so to this day.
"I'm sure that even the most musically illiterate kids know who 'Satchmo' is."
And I'm sure that's not so.
Jazz as a mainstream artform is dead, I'm afraid. It began its long decline when the musicians started playing to please the critics and other musicians and turned their back on their audience. (literally!)
Jazz was almost always about the musicians. So i will partially disagree with you, but part of the power of Jazz was the interaction of the musician's energy with that of the crowd. Once it isolated itself from that and focused even more on the musicians the genre then took a blow.
As I said in another thread, people like Trane, Bird, Miles, Monk, and Bill Evans did as much for jazz as Satchmo did. All were great. If I had to equate one guy with jazz, it'd be Miles for ushering in cool and hard bop and then modal jazz. Guy was a genius.
How lovely to see another Fats Waller fan; one who believes his music is still alive. Pops' solo on "I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling" is a testimony to joy.
For his own part, Fats' pipe organ version of "Beale St. Blues" is harrowing, and totally rock and roll. Wish it were on YouTube, but none of his creepy, minor key organ stuff is.
Anybody know who the lady is? I couldn't take my eyes off her!
thanks for the great clips - I and my children have been really enjoying them. I wonder if you or any of y'all out there can give me a year on this clip. The historian in the household is claiming that it must definitely be 1963 but she doesn't know why. Is that close?
@Anonomous The woman is Jewel Brown, who was Armstrong's vocalist for years and years. That's all I know about her --- don't know what she ever did before or after, but she WAS killer.
You haven't lived if you haven't seen Louis Armstrong do a hilarious rendition of When The Saints with Danny Kaye.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm6ktYq0Yxk
Translation: when the musicians played stuff that I didn't like, jazz died.
I mean seriously, you have to be joking. The reason jazz has declined in popularity is because the American music listening audience has been raised on a diet of junk and is functionally illiterate when it comes to music.
In Europe, boundary-pushing jazz is still a popular art form. Only in sorry-ass America, ruined by corporate greed, do we see this great form of music born here turned into the sad smooth jazz bullshit to accompany your active modern lifestyle.
Camillei, thankyouthankyouthankyou for that link.