Who told him he could sing
Discussion
All the "Old Crooners" and jazz singers worked in smoky clubs and suffered with bad chests etc. You fail to appreciate the tonal quality of Satchmo's voice. He is considered the most important improviser in jazz, and he taught the world to swing. Armstrong, fondly known as "Satchmo" (which is short for "Satchelmouth" referring to the size of his mouth) or "Pops," had a sense of humor, natural and unassuming manner, and positive disposition that made everyone around him feel good. With his infectious, wide grin and instantly recognizable gravelly voice, he won the hearts of people everywhere. He had an exciting and innovative style of playing that musicians imitate to this day. Throughout his career, Armstrong spread the language of jazz around the world, serving as an international ambassador of swing. His profound impact on the music of the 20th century continues into the 21st century Remember, in those days there was no such thing as mixing desks that could alter the pitch and range of your voice. Rose Murphy is a good example of that. What you hear is pure and un altered. How many "Artistes" that are around today will be mentioned in 60 odd years.
bmw114 said:
Louis Armstrong, come on , whats all that about.
If he showed up on the x Factor auditions they would burst out laughing and kick him out.
Yes, but the X-Factor and its ilk are looking for a particular type of person - someone who is marketable.
People like Louis Armstrong became popular because people liked their music, not just because they could sing.
There are plenty of people who technically aren't very good singers, but excellent song writers and performers so people buy their records.
Luckily for Armstrong, his success was not about being packaged or being slotted into a particular market niche. He sold himself on his style, his originality, his humour and personality. He virtually invented jazz as a popular music style and therefore, in a way, helped paved the way for modern pop and rock as we know it. As I said earlier, he was also one of the first black artists to be acceptable to white audiences - don't forget, Armstrong found fame in the mid 1920s! That was a time when being black in America vceratinly put you well down the pecking order. The only other famous black personalities before Armstrong were boxers.
He was also a hypochondriac who fed himself a relentless diet of pills and lotions. There is some evidence that his death in 1970 might have been hastened by all the concoctions he took over his life.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 19th October 17:04
He was also a hypochondriac who fed himself a relentless diet of pills and lotions. There is some evidence that his death in 1970 might have been hastened by all the concoctions he took over his life.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 19th October 17:04
406 said:
All the "Old Crooners" and jazz singers worked in smoky clubs and suffered with bad chests etc. You fail to appreciate the tonal quality of Satchmo's voice. He is considered the most important improviser in jazz, and he taught the world to swing. Armstrong, fondly known as "Satchmo" (which is short for "Satchelmouth" referring to the size of his mouth) or "Pops," had a sense of humor, natural and unassuming manner, and positive disposition that made everyone around him feel good. With his infectious, wide grin and instantly recognizable gravelly voice, he won the hearts of people everywhere. He had an exciting and innovative style of playing that musicians imitate to this day. Throughout his career, Armstrong spread the language of jazz around the world, serving as an international ambassador of swing. His profound impact on the music of the 20th century continues into the 21st century Remember, in those days there was no such thing as mixing desks that could alter the pitch and range of your voice. Rose Murphy is a good example of that. What you hear is pure and un altered. How many "Artistes" that are around today will be mentioned in 60 odd years.
Oh yes www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_armstrong_louis.htm
Eric Mc said:
He was a first. He was original.
He was a Trumpet player.
My musical tastes are wide and varied and so i have quite a large collection of CD`s, if you like an artiste then you buy their CD but i don`t know anyone than can actually say they own one of his CD`s.
I would`nt count being spoken about in 60 years as any judge of quality, after all we still talk about Adolf Hitler.
Well we do in our house.
If you don't like someone, no one is going to convince you to. I am by no means a major fan of Satchmo, but, like Elvis and Bing Crosby, whether you like these singers or not, they represent key note moments in the development of popular music in the 20th Century.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 19th October 20:14
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 19th October 20:14
I remember when the TV programme SO IT GOES came out in the 70`s Tony Wilson fronted it and i thought it was a absolute load of crap and i wrote him a letter telling him so, he wrote back giving his point of view.
The programme introduced Punk Rock to the world and some might say that has a place in music history.
I think we would not have suffered if it had passed us by, just the same as if Satchel mouth had stuck to playing his Trumpet.
It like that saying "He has a great face for the Radio".
Frank Sinatra, Yes (I have 2 of his CD`s)
Louis Armstrong, NO
The programme introduced Punk Rock to the world and some might say that has a place in music history.
I think we would not have suffered if it had passed us by, just the same as if Satchel mouth had stuck to playing his Trumpet.
It like that saying "He has a great face for the Radio".
Frank Sinatra, Yes (I have 2 of his CD`s)
Louis Armstrong, NO
Without Louis Armstrong there may not have been a Frank Sinatra. It was Armstrong who helped make "black" jazz music acceptable to a white audience. From Armstrong's jazz band grew the dance bands and big band orchestras of the 1930s and 40s which is where Sinatra started his career.
Sinatra was keen to play homage to Armstrong and it is one of the reasons why Sinatra, Crosby and Armstrong all appeared together in the movie "High Society". Armstrong was looked on by the other two as "The Grand Old Man" of jazz.
Sinatra was keen to play homage to Armstrong and it is one of the reasons why Sinatra, Crosby and Armstrong all appeared together in the movie "High Society". Armstrong was looked on by the other two as "The Grand Old Man" of jazz.
If you went into a jazz club and asked them what they thought of Louis Armstrong you would get a positive response.
If you went into Punk Rock club (if you could find one) and asked what they thought of the Sex Pistols they would probably tell you to Fxxx off but then they would tell you they were fantastic.
Seriously Eric if you went on Dessert Island Disc would Mr Armstrong be on your list, as you have probably guessed he would`nt be on mine.
Then again what does it matter , you would be happy with your 10 and i`d be happy with mine.
If you went into Punk Rock club (if you could find one) and asked what they thought of the Sex Pistols they would probably tell you to Fxxx off but then they would tell you they were fantastic.
Seriously Eric if you went on Dessert Island Disc would Mr Armstrong be on your list, as you have probably guessed he would`nt be on mine.
Then again what does it matter , you would be happy with your 10 and i`d be happy with mine.
bmw114 said:Hmmm... 'EMI' would still have a place in my all-time top 100, but the Pistols were the popular face of punk, just a figurehead for thousands of bands who went out and did it instead of watching washed up old bores going through the motions and collecting the big cheque. Without punk, LIVE music would not be the same today.
If you went into Punk Rock club (if you could find one) and asked what they thought of the Sex Pistols they would probably tell you to Fxxx off but then they would tell you they were fantastic.
I actually said that Louis Armstrong was not one of my favourites. So no, if I was being asked to select music for a desert island sojourn, I would not select a piece by him.
As I keep saying though, whether you or I actually like him is irrelevant. What is important is his place in the history of popular music which is without arguement.
As I now seem to be repeating myself (possibly to no effect) I will cease posting on this thread.
Goodnight - OOOOOH YEAHHHHH.
As I keep saying though, whether you or I actually like him is irrelevant. What is important is his place in the history of popular music which is without arguement.
As I now seem to be repeating myself (possibly to no effect) I will cease posting on this thread.
Goodnight - OOOOOH YEAHHHHH.
tvrbob said:
Louis Armstrong, come on , whats all that about.
If he showed up on the x Factor auditions they would burst out laughing and kick him out.
Says someone who watches the x factor, nuff said.
At the risk of being tasked with soap finder
in the SinBin showers, it's a BMW thing - from
the country that regards David Hasselhoff as
a rock god, and the Super Guppy Mullet as a fashion
statement rather than a crime against humanity.
Drive the car, adopt the culture.
OK Ted, it's a fair cop.
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