Louis Armstrong

Born in New Orleans, trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was the first big Jazz-star. He became interested in music early on and began playing the popular music of his hometown on cornet. Legendary trumpeter King Oliver gave Armstrong, who had gotten his first musical education at the Colored Waifs Home for Boys, some lessons. Brass bands were playing on the Mississippi steamers at the time and Armstrong soon landed a gig with the orchestra of Fate Marable, where he significantly expanded his technical skills and later was able to master even the most difficult scores. After replacing King Oliver in Kid Ory's band, he soon followed his teacher to Chicago, the Jazz center of the 1920s. Armstrong was one of the first musicians to emerge as a soloist from the collective improvisations of early Jazz with his own style and stretched out soloing.

More than 300 tracks, digitally remastered and compiled over 15 discs. Includes all of Louis Armstrong's hits, hundreds of rarities and the complete discography. 2005.

Here's an example of the Classics Chronological Series serving as a valuable tool for savoring and comprehending a temporal segment of one artist's personal and professional development. Over a span of 27 months, Louis Armstrong waxed 21 sides that appeared on three different record labels, beginning with a set of V-Discs cut at New York's Metropolitan Opera House on January 18, 1944. How interesting and exciting it is to hear Louis Armstrong, Barney Bigard, and Jack Teagarden in the company of Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Art Tatum, Al Casey, Oscar Pettiford, and Sidney Catlett. The opening track, a five-minute version of Hawkins' "Mop! Mop!," constitutes thrilling proof that two generations of jazz musicians had plenty of stylistic common ground regardless of any imaginary divisions invented and imposed by jazz critics…