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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 176-200 of 770 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh S-72915 10-in. 10/17/1924 Early in the morning Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-72916 10-in. 10/17/1924 You've got the right key, but the wrong keyhole Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-72958 10-in. 11/6/1924 Of all the wrongs you done to me Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance quintet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-72959 10-in. 11/6/1924 Everybody loves my baby (But my baby don't love nobody but me) Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance quintet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-72996 10-in. 11/25/1924 Papa, Mama's all alone blues Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-72997 10-in. 11/25/1924 Changeable daddy of mine Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Margaret Johnson Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73007 10-in. 11/28/1924 Baby, I can't use you no more Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sippie Wallace Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73008 10-in. 11/28/1924 Trouble everywhere I roam Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sippie Wallace Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73026 10-in. 12/17/1924 Mandy, make up your mind Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance quintet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73027 10-in. 12/17/1924 I'm a little blackbird looking for a bluebird Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance quartet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73083 10-in. 1/8/1925 Cake walking babies from home Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance quintet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73084 10-in. 1/8/1925 Pickin' on your baby Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73204 10-in. 3/4/1925 Cast away Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh S-73205 10-in. 3/4/1925 Papa de-da-da Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance ensemble, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 73686 10-in. 10/6/1925 Just wait 'til you see my baby do the Charleston Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance sextet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 73687 10-in. 10/6/1925 Living high (Sometimes) Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Jazz/dance sextet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 73694 10-in. 10/8/1925 Coal cart blues Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Instrumental sextet, with female vocal solo songwriter, instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 73695 10-in. 10/8/1925 Santa Claus blues Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Instrumental sextet, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 73721 10-in. 10/16/1925 Santa Claus blues Clarence Williams’ Trio Female vocal solo, with male vocal duet and instrumental trio instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 73738 10-in. 10/26/1925 Squeeze me Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor Instrumental sextet, with female vocal solo songwriter, instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 73739 10-in. 10/26/1925 You can't shush Katie (The gabbiest girl in town) Eva Taylor Female vocal solo, with instrumental sextet instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh 74333 10-in. Sept. 1926 Don't forget to mess around Alberta Hunter ; Perry Bradford's Mean Four Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quartet songwriter  
OKeh W80837 10-in. 5/6/1927 Dead drunk blues Sippie Wallace Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh W80838 10-in. 5/6/1927 Have you ever been down? Sippie Wallace Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
OKeh W80839 10-in. 5/6/1927 Lazy man blues Sippie Wallace Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
(Results 176-200 of 770 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Armstrong, Louis," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101863.

Armstrong, Louis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101863.

"Armstrong, Louis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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