Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington - Coursework Example

Number] Jazz Research Paper Louis Armstrong was an African American singer and musician from New Orleans. Armstrong was famous because of his unique style in playing the trumpet and singing loud jazz songs. Armstrong spent his childhood in poverty but turned the face of jazz music by his trumpeting and entertaining performances. His role is considered to be an important one in the development of jazz music. His techniques were inventive and improvised and his style was dazzling and energetic. He performed scat-style singing and his gravelly voice was famous and loved. He was, however, the greatest of all the jazz musicians. Armstrong learnt to play the cornet when he was in school. He did many small jobs after he was released from school and had no instrument of his own till then. He used to love music and went to clubs to listen to band songs. Joe “King” Oliver was a father to him and he gave him a cornet along with instructing and teaching him the instrument. In 1917, Armstrong played in a group inspired by Oliver. He left New Orleans in 1919 and joined Fate Marable’s band (Mandel, 43). Armstrong gained popularity in the 1920s and had started to be known as the inventive cornet and trumpet player. He had become a prominent figure in the jazz music famous for his own style. He influenced jazz music throughout his career with his style and was the foundational musician who changed the focus of the music towards solo performances from the conventionally performed collective improvisations. Armstrong had become an influential singer because of his gravelly voice which was recognizable instantly. He used to bend the melody and lyrics of a song in his way which made it even more expressive. His scat-singing was widely known where he used syllables and sounds to vocalize instead of the lyrics. Scat-singing started with the recording of Heebie Jeebies (Searle, 21). Other recording of Armstrong as the leader were known as Hot Fives and Hot Sevens. His emphasis on solo performances started in this era and he had shifted from the cornet to the trumpet with performances like Strutting, Potato Head Blues, With Some Barbecue and West End Blues. He made the jazz music an art form in this period. Making the rhythms and music more complicated, Armstrong had shifted the focus of jazz from groups to individuals. He recorded Weatherbird with pianist Earl Hines which was a stand out in jazz music. He formed his own group in 1947 called Louis Armstrong and the All-Stars. Armstrong’s work led him to many achievements in his career. His jazz art form and his command over his style of music was an evolution for the generations to follow. Other than his music, the fact that he was popular and his performances attracted the audience has led to a rare combination. He had a magical charisma and an ability to direct the emotions of the audiences in his performances. He gave many hit records in his career which charmed the audience. His music was a legacy which was followed by other musicians later on (Mandel, 43). Armstrong’s style and music had a great impact on the generations that followed him. Till today, in the world of jazz, he is respected and loved by musicians. Back in his days, there were some young musicians and singers who found his attributes racially offensive. Young and new jazz musicians didn’t take him seriously until today. Today, it is believed that Armstrong defined what jazz music is. His inventive styles and technical abilities dominate the world of jazz music. His influence on jazz music has been directing the musicians till today (Gridley, 92). Duke Ellington was another famous American jazz musician and composer who made his place in the world of music for 50 years. He was dedicated to music till his death and was known as the best orchestra leader. He started playing music in 1927. He was influenced by the famous piano players James P. Johnson and Willie “The Lion” Smith and adopted their technique. He played with Wilbur Sweatman in New York in 1922 which was unsuccessful. A year later, he went to New York again with his friends and worked for Elmer Snowden the banjoist. Ellington became the leader of the band after a disagreement took place. The group was named The Washingtonians and worked for The Hollywood Club. Many musicians and composers joined the band including Bubber Miley the trumpeter, and Sidney Bechet. Miley played with his unique plunger mute style which was later known as Jungle Sound. It had also played a huge role in the early success of Ellington. Ellington is known to be a key figure in the jazz history but for himself, he played general American music and was not restricted to a genre like jazz. The main reason for his national success and popularity was his orchestra’s appearances. The musicians who were in Ellington’s orchestra group such as Johnny Hodges are still known to be the best music players in jazz music. It is evident that Ellington was the one who helped them become the best players in the best jazz orchestra in the entire history. Many of these musicians stayed in the orchestra group for years. Ellington also had a special skill in making miniatures, thus he composed many compositions for specific members matching their styles. He composed ‘Concerto for Cootie’ for Cootie Williams and ‘Jeep’s Blues’ for Hodges. Ellington had created over thousands of compositions and his total number of writings is the largest in the history of jazz. He also recorded songs such as ‘Caravan’ and ‘Perdido’ that were written by the members of his band (Searle, 21). Ellington’s collaborator and guide was the Billy Strayhorn. Strayhorn was a lyricist, arranger and composer, and classically trained. It was his arrangements and guidance that polished Ellington’s compositions. One of the most famous song ever ‘Take the ‘A’ Train’ was composed under his mentorship. Strayhorn had been Ellington’s partner till his death and it was with him that Ellington made a career revival in 1956. After that he touched heights with his orchestra and tours in different countries. Ellington recorded music for almost all of the American companies present in his era. He also appeared in films and composed musical stage dramas (Gridley, 92). Ellington invented a different and unique style of playing the orchestra. He had an amazing charisma and eloquence which led him to enhance the perception of jazz music into a form of art with traditional music genres. His music and compositions received more popularity after his death when he was dedicated the special posthumous honor. Similar to Armstrong, Ellington had a style which was unmatchable and incomparable. He had also been an influential figure in the twentieth century music and in the history of jazz. The musicians and composers till today appreciate and refer to his work to gain inspiration. He bought a sophistication level and style to jazz music which set foundations. His piano skills were god gifted which were loved by many but the reason he was famous was his orchestra playing. Ellington considered himself to be an arranger and composer instead of just being a musician. It is said that Armstrong was the only musician along with Ellington to have such a sustained career. However, Armstrong had failed to be actively in the music line after 1930s which was the time of Ellington. Ellington’s band received immense success in the 1940s and 1950s, and even after his death, his son took over the band and continued to create outstanding music. Ellington helped and supported many other musicians to become the all time best ones in the history of jazz music. Armstrong was an African-American and lived in an era where the racial discrimination had touched the heights. Blacks were immensely discriminated and were not allowed at many public places. However, Armstrong had been one of those blacks who were respected, socially accepted and honored by the whites. He had crossed the boundaries of being an African-American and became the man whose skill and music was given more importance than his color. This was his great sense of music and style of playing that led him to win the hearts of many in a society which was racially divided. Ellington also supported the African-Americans greatly with his music and films such as ‘Black and Tan’. Armstrong stood for desegregation also and influenced the racial structures of America greatly. Ellington and Armstrong were two musicians who were accepted and loved by the audience. Their performances had whites and blacks both who came together to enjoy music. If their music did not finish the discrimination in America, then at least it initiated a sense of acceptance in their minds and gave them a chance to come together for the same purpose and enjoy together. Armstrong and Ellington were geniuses in the field of jazz music and contributed immensely to the genre. Their music is still loved and remembered by all music lovers. They invented their own styles and gave the audience something different to explore than the contemporary styles of music. They both had different inventive styles and a charisma that made them well known and famous. References Gridley, Mark. Concise Guide to Jazz, fourth edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004. Print. Mandel, Howard. Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz beyond Jazz. London: Routledge, 2007. Print. Searle, Chris. Forward Groove: Jazz and the Real World from Louis Armstrong to Gilad Atzmon. London: Northway, 2008. Print. Read More