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Analysis on Louis Armstrongs Jazz Recordings The purpose of this paper is to examine the music of one the greatest Jazz musicians of all time, Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong, also known as Satchmo, was a charismatic Jazz trumpeter, singer, and entertainer. Louis Armstrong redirected and shifted the focus of Jazz musicians. The essence of his music influenced many jazz musicians to pursue instrumental and vocal solos. Besides being an inventor, Louis Armstrong had the charm to entertain the audience. The passion towards his music can be seen in many famous recordings such as St. Louis Blues, West End Blues, When the Saints Go Marching In, Potato Head Blues, and Heebie Jebbies. During his lifespan, Louis Armstrong played several Jazz styles such as: City Blues, New Orleans Dixieland, Chicago Dixieland, Swing, and Hard Bop. Armstrong also revolutionized his style of play by recording Pop music such as Hello Dolly and What a Wonderful World. Although all of Louis Armstrongs music is highly magnified, the records made by Louis Armstrongs Hot Five and Hot Seven are considered to be absolute jazz classics and speak of Armstrongs creative powers (1). The impact of the Hot Five and Hot Seven records revolutionized the direction and History of Jazz because Armstrong concentrated more on the jazz soloist instead of the New Orleans collective improvisation. During this time, Louis Armstrong uses scat singing to popularize and express the beauty of Jazz music. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4th, 1901. He had a tough and dysfunctional childhood. At the age of 12, Armstrong got caught firing a piston and was put in the Colored Waifs Home (2). In this home, Peter Davis taught Armstrong how to play the cornet, and at the age of 17, he joined King Olivers Band. In 1922, he was invited to play in King Olivers Creole Jazz Band. This opportunity allowed Armstrong to develop, and he then formed the Hot Five and Hot Seven groups. In the coming years, he adapted to the Swing Era and became famous across the continent. In 1947, he formed the Louis Armstrong All Starts and returned to the Chicago Dixieland style. The group included famous jazz artists such as Earl Fatha Hines, and Edmond Hall (1). In 1971, Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack

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The following analysis will analyze Louis Armstrongs tracks from his initial to final records. The songs have been categorized by Jazz style. The first song evaluated resembles the City Blues Jazz style. In 1925, Louis Armstrong partnered with famous Blues singer Bessie Smith to record St. Louis Blues. This song is a phenomenal demonstration of singer and instrument dialogue. The vocalist allows for the cornet to fill in gaps after each phrase. In this song, the vocalist sets the mood of the song, and the cornet establishes the melody and harmony. The song starts by an elongated trumpet chord. After the vocalist sing the first phrase, the trumpet fills in the gaps by an improvised melody. The song follows the traditional blue twelve- bar format, and there are no rhythm instruments. In the background, the organ uses blues notes and chords to accompany the cornet and vocalist. After the initial twelve bar melody, a new melody is introduced. The new melody is played at a lower pitch. At the end of each phrase, the blues singer and cornet use blues and elongated notes to make aggressive sounds. The trumpet style play is relaxed and harmonic. The song concludes by the cornet extending a high pitch note. The song allows for the audience to relive the story being told by the lyrics. Throughout the whole song, the cornet accompanies the vocal, which creates a melodic conversation. In this song, Louis Armstrong played with smooth and flat chords. The cornet accompaniment defines the harmony, texture, and melody of the song. The identity of the song can be recognized after the second verse, and the tempo of the song remains constant. The genius play of Louis Armstrong can be recognized in this song, because he is able to improvise different melodic blues fills. The second recording evaluated resembles the New Orleans Dixieland Jazz style. In May 10, 1927, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven recorded Potato Head Blues. This recording emphasizes collective improvisation, and the flat four time measure. The instrumentation is typical of New Orleans Dixieland, due to the banjo controlling the rhythm, the tuba carrying the low chord, and the trumpet playing the main melody. The song starts out by all of the instruments playing together at an upbeat tempo. The trumpet introduces the main melody, and the clarinet accompanies the trumpet with a higher melody. In the background, the tuba plays quarter notes and adds accents to each note. The trombone plays the lower

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melody, but he slides through chords. At the beginning of the song, the collective improvisation is very rich. The clarinet seems to lead the texture by playing a faster melody, and the trumpet plays with a smooth and elongated tone. The first solo is played by the trumpet. The trumpet solo is accompanied by the banjo playing a 4/4 beat. The trumpet solo is smooth and is played at a low scale. Louis Armstrong slides through different chords to create a colorful texture. After the trumpet solo, there is a clarinet solo. The clarinet solo is more agitated and aggressive. The clarinet solo is more sophisticated, and the musician uses blues notes to change to different scales. After the clarinet solo, there is a brief banjo solo. The banjo solo introduces a new rhythm. The second trumpet solo is more aggressive, and the intensity of the song changes. The trumpet solo is accompanied by pulse beats from the other instruments. The song concludes with collective improvisation. As the song concludes, the intensity and volume of the instruments gradually increases. The melodies and harmonies of this song output a joyous mood. In this song, the audience can observe Louis Armstrongs ability to incorporate melodic solos. In the song, there is a strong collaboration between the trumpet and clarinet. Both instruments interchange the main melodies; however, they also play in harmony during the collective improvisation. The third recording evaluated resembles the New Orleans Dixieland Jazz Style. In February 26, 1926, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five recorded Heebie Jeebies. This song emphasizes Louis Armstrong famous scat singing. In this song, Armstrong was able to improvise fills by singing doo bi and da ba sounds. The song also focuses on accompaniment by the banjo. The song starts out by the piano and banjo playing two beat notes. After the introduction, the cornet, trombone, and clarinet begin to play with collective improvisation. The trumpet plays the main melody, and the trombone has the counter melody. For the first part of the song, the trombone and trumpet play in harmony. In the background, the banjo plays a steady 4/4 beat measure. The trombone uses slurs to intensify the quality of his notes. The trumpet has the first solo. The trumpet solo is played with high notes. The trumpeter elongates the notes to transition towards the clarinet solo. The clarinet solo is calm, and he descends the pitch of each note. After the clarinet solo, the

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singer introduces the main lyrics of the song. The vocal is accompanied by the banjo playing several chord progressions. During the vocal solo, Armstrong uses scat singing. The scat singing flows with the rhythm and harmony of the banjo. After the vocal solo, the instruments begin to play in unison. For the last phrase of the song, the banjo plays two beat chords, and Armstrong improvises scat singing. The recording amplifies the talent of Louis Armstrong. Armstrong is able to improvise a solo with a cornet and his voice. Furthermore, the song cultivates the banjo as a rhythmic and melodic instrument. The fourth song evaluated resembles the Chicago Dixieland Jazz style. In 1953, Louis Armstrong and his All Stars performed Struttin with Some Barbecue. Strutting with Some Barbecue was originally recorded with Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five; however, the 1953 recording uses a 2/4 jazz beat and heavy drum after beat. The 2/4 jazz beat by the piano is prominent in the Chicago Dixieland style. In this song, the piano and drum development intensity the volume and texture of the song. The collective improvisation is still apparent, but the musicians spend more time on creating melodic solos. The song starts out with very quick piano melody. In the background, the drums keep a constant 2/4 beat. The trumpet introduces the main melody of the song, by using accents and melodic extensions. The trombones play the lower melody, and they use slurs to intensity the texture of the sound. As the song develops, the clarinets begin to join, and there is collective improvisation. The trumpet solo is played at a very fast tempo, and Armstrong accents the high notes. In the middle of the song, the piano has a very up tempo and swing solo. The piano solo combines chords and chops keys to create an improvised melody. After the piano solo, the bass has a solo. The bass solo is accompanied by piano fills. The bass solo has several walking patterns, but it also combines notes. After the bass solo, the intensity and volume of the song increases. The trumpet solo is very powerful and tuneful. The trumpet melody fades out, and it is combined with a clarinet solo. The clarinet solo is very grand and rhythmic. The clarinet uses blurs and bop sounds. The trombone solo uses several slurs. As the song reaches its final measures, the drums have a solo. The drum solo uses several bombs and complicated patterns. The song concludes by all of the instruments combining their melodies and

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extending a harmonic note. In this song, the faster rhythm makes the song more aggressive and tuneful. The collective improvisation between the trombone, clarinet, and trumpet makes a harmonic texture. The 2/4 jazz beat established by the piano and drums magnify a faster and exiting rhythm. The fifth song evaluated resembles the swing jazz style. In November 4, 1931, Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra recorded Star Dust. In this song, Armstrong uses the structure of a big band composed of saxophone, trombone, trumpet, and rhythm section. Furthermore, the song was arranged so that the instrumentation would play in ensemble. The song starts out by the trumpet section having a soli. The trumpet soli is accompanied by the saxophone section. In the background, the guitar and piano plays a 4 beat rhythm. From the very beginning, it is noticeable that the song was arranged so the instruments could play fluent harmonies. In the middle of the song, the guitar switches to a 2/4 rhythm, and the saxophone and trombone section play elongated flat notes. Meanwhile, Armstrong has a strong and tuneful trumpet solo. The solo is calm and relaxed. The notes transition peacefully, which develops a soothing texture. During Armstrongs solo, the other instruments play soft echoes that fill the trumpets solo. The song concludes by all of the instruments playing together, tutti. The rhythm of this song is established by the guitar. The main melody is always accompanied by echoes or shouts from the other instrumental sections. The song follows the swing pattern, and only the trumpet solo is improvised. The song shows Armstrongs ability to cultivate a big band to his style of play. Armstrong allows the composer to create tutti harmonic melodies, yet he is still able to create remarkable solos. The sixth song evaluated resembles the New Orleans Dixieland style. Louis Armstrong All Stars version of When the Saints Go Marching in is perhaps one of the most vigorous and melodic songs of all time. The song incorporates collective improvisation, 4 beat measures to 2/4 beat, swing singing, and energetic solos. The song is introduced by a drum solo that incorporates bombs and boom chuck patterns. After the introduction, the trumpet plays the primary melody. The trombone and clarinet accompany the trumpet melody. After completing the first verse, the vocal introduces the lyrics of the song. In the

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background, the bas and piano introduce a 2/4 jazz beat rhythm. In the middle, there is a clarinet, trombone, and trumpet solos. The clarinet solo is played with a clear, energetic, and swing tone. The clarinet solo transitions to a grandeurs trombone solo. The trombone solo is accompanied by echoes from the chorus. The trombone solo uses slurs and slides to agitate the quality and tone of his solo. After the trombone solo, Louis Armstrong finishes the climax of the song with a magnificent trumpet solo. The texture of the song is very energetic and joyous. The song also incorporates vocal echoes from the chorus. The song concludes by all the instruments having a big crescendo and stopping all together. This song is a perfect example of Louis Armstrongs style of play. The song delivers quality, intensity, texture, melody, rhythm, and balanced harmonies. The improvised solos and collective improvisation emphasize the New Orleans Dixieland style. However, the song was recorded in 2/4 jazz beat, and the drums controlled the rhythm of the song. Furthermore, the vocals performance and singing more accurately represents the swing style. In conclusion, this song incorporates various Jazz styles, but the essence of the song represents New Orleans.

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Sources 1. "Louis Armstrong." Louis Armstrong. Red Hot Jazz, n.d. Web. 30 May 2013. <http://www.redhotjazz.com/louie.html>. 2. Megill, Donald D., and Richard S. Demory. Introduction to Jazz HIstory. 6th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2004.