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A true pioneer of jazz Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, in 1900, he lived in poverty and was placed in a home for waifs in 1913 for firing blanks from a pistol on New Years Eve. It was during this time that Peter David a teacher at the home taught him to play the cornet.
On his release from the home he continued playing sometimes as part of small bands. This is how he met King Oliver a cornet player in Kid Ory’s band. Oliver taught Louis how to play jazz and when he moved on to bigger things in Chicago Louis took his place in the band. Kid Ory’s band played on the riverboats and in street parades the pay was minimal and Armstrong had a day job to make ends meet.
Armstrong married his first wife Daisy Parker when he was 19; it was not a happy union rumour has it that Daisy was a violent woman.
In 1922 he joined Oliver in Chicago where they played together for a couple of years before Armstrong went on tour with Fletcher Henderson. Oliver’s pianist Lil Hardin encouraged Louis to study music formally; they were married in 1924. It was around this time that Louis changed from the Cornet to the trumpet.
The next few years were fruitful for Armstrong and his wife who collaborated on the Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. These groups were formed for the sole purpose of recording jazz and included Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Kid Ory on trombone, Lil Hardin, piano, the banjo of Johnny St Cyr and of course Armstrong himself on cornet on the earlier offerings changing to trumpet later. Two more instruments were added for a number of sessions, they were the drums and the tuba.
Throughout the following years Armstrong played and recorded constantly, he was not just a musician he was an entertainer who loved to clown around and develop a rapport with his audience. His popularity was immense both at home and overseas where his records sold well.
Louis Armstrong’s success was not limited to recording and live performance; he also made in excess of 35 movies like “High Society” and the one most people associate with him, the classic “Hello Dolly". This made his music popular with people who didn’t consider themselves jazz fans.
Europe had the pleasure of seeing Louis for the first time in 1932, he returned for a longer tour in 1933.He continued to tour throughout America with his Big Band until the war was over. Then in 1947 he formed the first of his All-Star groups and began touring all over the world.
Despite failing health Armstrong continued to play and tour until he suffered a heart attack in 1971. He died July 6th 1971.
| Title |
Arranger/Composer |
| (Get Some) Cash For Your Trash |
Waller, Kirkeby |
| (Was I To Blame For) Falling In Love With You |
|
| (What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue |
|
| 1 |
|
| 1
2
3 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 2:19 Blues |
Desdume |
| 3 |
|
| After You've Gone |
|
| Ain't Misbehavin' |
Brooks, Razaf, Waller |
| Alexander's Ragtime Band |
|
| All Of Me |
|
| Alligator Crawl |
|
| Among My Souvenirs |
Nicholls, Leslie |
| As Long As You Live, You'll Be Dead If You Die |
|
| Baby Don't You Cry |
Unknown |
| Baby, Won't You Please Come Home |
Warfield, Williams |
| Back O'town Blues |
Armstrong, Russell |
| Basin Street Blues |
Williams |
| Bessie Couldn't Help It |
|
| Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea |
|
| Blue Again |
|
| Blue, Turing Grey Over You |
|
| Blueberry Hill |
Lewis, Rose, Stock |
| Blues |
Feather |
| Boog-It |
|
| Bye And Bye |
|
| Cabaret |
Ebb, Kander |
| Cain And Abel |
Fensteck, Loman |
| Can Anybody Explain |
Benjamine, Weiss |
| Canfessin' (That I Love You) |
|
| Carry Me Back To Old Virginny |
|
| C'est Si Bon (It's So Good) |
Betti, Hornez, Seelen |
| Cherry |
|
| Chicago Breakdown |
|
| Chinatown, My Chinatown |
|
| Coal Cart Blues |
Armstrong, Hardin |
| Confessin' |
Doughty, Reynolds, Neiburg |
| Coquette |
Berlin |
| Cornet Chop Suey |
|
| Cuban Pete |
|
| Cut Off My Legs And Call Me "Shorty" |
Raye, Alexander |
| Dallas Blues |
Garrett, Ward |
| Darling Nelly Gray |
|
| Dear Old Southland |
Layton, Creamer |
| Dinah |
|
| Dipper Mouth Blues |
|
| Down In Honky Tonk Town |
Smith, Mccarron |
| Elder Eatmore's Sermon On Throng Stone |
|
| Esquire Bounce |
Feather |
| Everybody Loves My Baby (But My Baby Loves Nobody But Me) |
Palmer, Williams |
| Ev'ntide |
Carmichael |
| Ev'rything's Been Done Before |
|
| Georgia Bo Bo |
|
| Georgia On My Mind |
|
| Going To Shout All Over God's Heaven |
|
| Got A Bran' New Suit |
|
| Got No Blues |
|
| Grooving |
Mcrae, Brown, O'nan |
| Gully Low Blues |
|
| Harlem Stomp |
Higginbotham |
| Hawaiian Hospitality |
|
| Hear Me Talkin' To Ya |
|
| Hello Dolly |
Herman |
| Hep Cats' Ball |
Palmer, Armstrong, Robinson |
| Hey Lawdy Mama |
Easton |
| High Society |
Melrose, Steele |
| Hobo, You Ride This Train |
|
| Home |
|
| Honeysuckle Rose |
Razaf, Waller |
| Hotter Than That |
|
| Hurdy-Gurdy Man |
|
| I Ain't Got Nobody |
|
| I Came From A Musical Family |
|
| I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me |
|
| I Can't Give You Anything But Love |
|
| I Cover The Waterfront |
Green, Heyman |
| I Double Dare You |
|
| I Got Rhythm |
|
| I Hate To Leave You Now |
|
| I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music |
|
| I Never Knew |
Rito, Kahn |
| I Surrender, Dear |
|
| I Used To Love You (But It's All Over Now) |
Tilzer, Brown |
| I Wonder |
Gant, Leven |
| If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight |
|
| If It's Good (Then I Want It) |
Marks, Hirsch |
| If We Never Meet Again |
|
| I'll Get Mine Bye And Bye |
Davis |
| I'm A Ding Dong Daddy |
|
| I'm Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You |
|
| I'm Confessin' That I Love You |
Neiburg, Dougherty, Reynolds |
| I'm In The Market For You |
|
| I'm In The Mood For Love |
|
| I'm Not Rough |
Hardin |
| I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket |
|
| I'm Shooting High |
|
| In The Gloaming |
Harrison, Orred |
| In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree |
|
| Indian Cradle Song |
|
| Irish Black Bottom |
|
| It's Wonderful |
|
| I've Got A Heart Full Of Rhythm |
|
| I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams |
|
| I've Got My Fingers Crossed |
|
| Jack Armstrong Blues |
Teagarden, Armstrong |
| Jeepers Creepers |
Mercer, Warren |
| Jodie Man |
Roberts, Fisher |
| Jodie Man |
|
| Jonah And The Whale |
|
| Joseph 'N His Brudders |
Armstrong, Bell |
| Jubllee |
|
| Just A Gigolo |
|
| Keepin' Out Of Mischeif Now |
|
| Keyhole Blues |
|
| Kickin' The Gong Around |
|
| La Cucaracha |
|
| Lawd, You Made The Night Too Long |
|
| Lazy River |
|
| Lazy 'Sippi' Steamer |
|
| Leap Frog |
Garland |
| Lets That Be A Lesson To You |
|
| Linger In My Arms A Little Longer, Baby |
Magidson |
| Little Joe |
|
| Long Long Journey |
|
| Long, Long Ago |
Bayley |
| Love Walked In |
|
| Love, You Funny Thing |
|
| Lyin' To Myself |
|
| Mack The Knife |
Blitzstein, Brecht, Weill |
| Mahogany Hall Stomp |
|
| Marie |
|
| Me And Brother Bill |
Sweet, Armstrong |
| Medley: When You’re Smiling |
|
| Melancholy Blues |
|
| Memories Of You |
|
| Mexican Swing |
|
| Money Blues |
|
| Mop Mop |
|
| My Sweet |
|
| My Walking Stick |
|
| Naturally |
|
| No Variety Blues |
Armstrong, Fairbanks |
| Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen |
|
| Now Do You Call That A Buddy |
Wilson |
| Now Do You Call That A Buddy |
Wilson |
| O'l Man Mose |
|
| On A Coconut Island |
|
| On A Little Bamboo Bridge |
|
| On The Sentimental Side |
|
| On The Sunny Side Of The Street |
Fields, Mchugh |
| Once In A While |
|
| Ory's Creole Trombone |
|
| Our Monday Date |
Armstrong, Hines |
| Our Monday Night |
|
| Pennies From Heaven Medley |
|
| Perdido Street Blues |
Armstrong |
| Poor Old Joe |
Carmichael |
| Potato Head Blues |
Armstrong |
| Pratt City Blues |
Hill Jones |
| Public Melody Number One |
|
| Put 'Em Down Blues |
|
| Reckless Blues |
|
| Red Cap |
|
| Red Nose |
|
| Red Sails In The Sunset |
|
| Rhythm Saved The World |
|
| Rockin' Chair |
|
| S.O.L. Blues |
|
| Satchel Mouth Swing |
|
| Save It, Pretty Mama |
|
| Savoy Blues |
Ory |
| Shadrack |
|
| Shanty Boat On The Mississippi |
Shand, Eaton |
| She's The Daughter Of A Planter From Havana |
|
| Shine |
|
| Shoe Shine Boy |
|
| Snafu |
Feather |
| So Little Time (So Much To Do) |
|
| Solitude |
|
| Some Of These Days (Instrumental) |
|
| Some Of These Days (Vocal) |
|
| Somebody Stole My Break |
|
| Something Tells Me |
|
| Song Of The Islands |
|
| Song Of The Vipers |
|
| St Louis Blues |
|
| Star Dust |
|
| Struttin' With Some Barbecue |
Armstrong |
| Sun Showers |
|
| Sunset Stomp |
|
| Sweet As A Song |
|
| Sweet Savannah Sue |
|
| Sweethearts On Parade |
Lombardo, Newman |
| Swing That Music |
Gerlach, Armstrong |
| Thankful |
|
| Thanks A Million |
|
| That Rhythm Man |
|
| That's My Home |
|
| That's When I'm Come Back To You |
|
| The Firm Fram Sauce |
|
| The Flat Foot Floogie |
|
| The Frim Fram Sauce |
Evans, Ricardel |
| The Last Time |
|
| The Lonesome Road |
|
| The Music Goes 'Round And Round |
|
| The New Tiger Rag |
|
| The Old Folks At Home |
|
| The Peanut Vendor |
|
| The Skeleton In The Closet |
|
| The Song Is Ended |
|
| The Trumpet Player's Lament |
|
| Them There Eyes |
|
| Tiger Rag |
De Costa, Edwards, La Roc |
| To You, Sweetheart, Aloha |
|
| True Confession |
|
| Twelfth Street Rag |
|
| W.P.A |
|
| Walkin' My Baby Back Home |
|
| Weary Blues |
|
| Weather Bird |
Oliver |
| West End Blues |
Oliver, Williams |
| What A Wonderful World |
|
| What Is That Thing Called Swing |
|
| Whatcha Say |
Unknown |
| Whatta Ya Gonna Do |
Skylar, Lewis |
| When It's Sleepy Time Down South |
Rene, Rene, Muse |
| When Ruben Swings The Cuban |
|
| When The Saints Go Marching In |
Armstrong (Trad) |
| When Your Lover Has Gone |
|
| When You're Smiling (Instrumental) |
|
| When You're Smiling (Vocal) |
|
| Wild Man Blues |
Armstrong, Morton |
| Will You, Won't You Be My Baby |
|
| Willie The Weeper |
Rymal, Melrose, Bloom |
| Wolverine Blues |
Morton |
| Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams |
|
| Yes Suh! |
Dowell, Razaf |
| Yes! Yes! My! My! |
|
| You Are My Lucky Star |
|
| You Can Depend On Me |
|
| You Made Mr Love You |
|
| You Rascal You |
Theard |
| You Run Your Mouth, I'll Run My Business |
Armstrong |
| You Won't Be Satisfied |
James, Stock |
| You'll Wish You’d Never Been Born |
|
| You're A Lucky Guy |
Cahn, Chaplin |
| You're Drivin' Me Crazy |
|
| You're Just A No Account |
Cahn, Chaplin |
| You're Lucky To Be Me |
|
| Yours And Mine |
|
| You've Got Me Voodoo'd |
|
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