Artist:Louis Armstrong
Song:Potato Head Blues
Album:Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man
Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong was the first significant soloist in jazz history. He became better known to the general public later through his singing. This 4CD comp covers his recordings from the 1920s. Though Armstrong always said he was born on the Fourth Of July, 1900, he was actually born Aug. 4, 1901 in New Orleans. He grew up in poverty and trumpeter King Oliver took him under his wing in 1914. When Oliver moved to Chicago in 1918, Armstrong replaced him in the Kid Ory band. He moved to Chicago to join Oliver's band in 1922 and married the band's pianist Lil Harden in 1924. Armstrong joined Fletcher Henderson's band in 1925 but also started to record for Okeh as either The Hot Five or The Hot Seven. The main members of the band were Lil Armstrong on piano, Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. Tuba & banjo was added for this 1927 recording of Potato Head Blues. It has a fabulous trumpet solo by Armstrong and also features Dodds on clarinet. This was strictly a studio band and Armstrong worked with different musicians in Chicago clubs. Of course he would become much more famous in the 30s but these recordings are essential for any jazz fan. Obviously there's no video footage of Armstrong from the 20s, but I think you'll enjoy Louis Armstrong in this 1932 short film A Rhapsody In Black & Blue performing I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You, Smile & Chinatown.
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