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Louis Armstrong

Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several eras in the history of jazz. He received numerous accolades including the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance for Hello, Dolly! in 1965, as well as a posthumous win for the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972, and induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2017.

Armstrong was born and raised in New Orleans. 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. Around 1922, he followed his mentor, Joe "King" Oliver, to Chicago to play in the Creole Jazz Band. He earned a reputation at "cutting contests", and his fame reached band leader Fletcher Henderson. He moved to New York City, where he became a featured and musically influential band soloist and recording artist. By the 1950s, he was a national musical icon, assisted in part, by his appearances on radio and in film and television, in addition to his concerts.

His best known songs include "What a Wonderful World", "La Vie en Rose", "Hello, Dolly!", "On the Sunny Side of the Street", "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "When You're Smiling" and "When the Saints Go Marching In". He collaborated with Ella Fitzgerald producing three records together Ella and Louis (1956), Ella and Louis Again (1957), and Porgy and Bess (1959). He also appeared in films such as A Rhapsody in Black and Blue (1932), Cabin in the Sky (1943), High Society (1956), Paris Blues (1961), A Man Called Adam (1966), and Hello, Dolly! (1969).

With his instantly recognizable rich, gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer and skillful improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song. He was also skilled at scat singing. By the end of Armstrong's life, his influence had spread to popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first popular African-American entertainers to "cross over" to wide popularity with white (and international) audiences. He rarely publicly discussed racial issues, to the dismay of fellow African Americans, but took a well-publicized stand for desegregation in the Little Rock crisis. He was able to access the upper echelons of American society at a time when this was difficult for black men.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 4, 1901 (New Orleans), Died July 6, 1971 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1969

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, vocalist, leader, cornet, composer, songwriter, speaker, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 226-250 of 780 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh W400954 10-in. 6/26/1928 You're a real sweetheart Louis Armstrong ; Lillie Delk Christian ; Hot Four Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quartet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400955 10-in. 6/26/1928 Too busy! Louis Armstrong ; Lillie Delk Christian ; Hot Four Female vocal solo and female-male vocal duet, with jazz/dance quartet leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400956 10-in. 6/26/1928 Was it a dream? Louis Armstrong ; Lillie Delk Christian ; Hot Four Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quartet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400957 10-in. 6/26/1928 Last night I dreamed you kissed me Louis Armstrong ; Lillie Delk Christian ; Hot Four Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400960 10-in. 6/27/1928 Fireworks Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400961 10-in. 6/27/1928 Skip the gutter Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400962 10-in. 6/27/1928 A Monday date Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet, with male vocal solo and talk leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet, speaker  
OKeh W400966 10-in. 6/28/1928 Don't jive me Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400967 10-in. 6/28/1928 West End blues Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, trumpet, vocalist  
OKeh W400968 10-in. 6/28/1928 Sugar foot strut Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400973 10-in. 6/29/1928 Two deuces Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400974 10-in. 6/29/1928 Squeeze me Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400991 10-in. 7/5/1928 Knee drops Louis Armstrong ; Hot Five Jazz/dance sextet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400992 10-in. 7/5/1928 Symphonic raps Carroll Dickerson ; Savoyagers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W400993 10-in. 7/5/1928 Stomp de los del Savoy Carroll Dickerson y su Orquesta Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W401688 10-in. 3/5/1929 I'm gonna stomp, Mr. Henry Lee Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W401689 10-in. 3/5/1929 Knockin' a jug Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W401690 10-in. 3/5/1929 I can’t give you anything but love Louis Armstrong ; Savoy Ballroom Five Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W401691 10-in. 3/5/1929 Mahogany Hall stomp Louis Armstrong ; Savoy Ballroom Five Jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W402153 10-in. 12/4/1928 No Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance sextet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W402154 10-in. 12/4/1928 Basin Street blues Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance sextet, with male vocal trio leader, instrumentalist, trumpet, vocalist  
OKeh W402168 10-in. 12/5/1928 No one else but you Louis Armstrong ; Savoy Ballroom Five Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W402169 10-in. 12/5/1928 Beau Koo Jack Louis Armstrong ; Savoy Ballroom Five Jazz/dance band leader, composer, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W402170 10-in. 12/5/1928 Save it pretty mamma Louis Armstrong ; Savoy Ballroom Five Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
OKeh W402199 10-in. 12/5/1928 Weather bird Louis Armstrong ; Earl Hines Trumpet and piano duet instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 226-250 of 780 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Armstrong, Louis," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101863.

Armstrong, Louis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101863.

"Armstrong, Louis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101863

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