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> Riccardi took a breath. “OK. You can name a thousand great instrumentalists or you can name a thousand great vocalists, but he’s the only person you could fin
by hotnfresh 3y ago
> Riccardi took a breath. “OK. You can name a thousand great instrumentalists or you can name a thousand great vocalists, but he’s the only person you could find who changed the way people played their instruments and the way people sang. Louis does that in a four-year period in the 1920s; by 1930, if you aren’t playing or singing like him, you’re out of work.
Anyone got a pointer to something (a Youtube video, probably?) that illustrates this? Specifically, the transformation of popular playing and singing in response to Armstrong. Like a before/after thing that demonstrates what Riccardi means here.
- bgm1975 3y agoI don’t remember if it was called out explicitly but there’s a fantastic documentary out now on AppleTV+ about Louis Armstrong. If you have a subscription, I highly recommend watching it!
- artimaeis 3y agoGoing to swing at this in the 3 ways I understand Armstrong to have impacted music: Cornet/Trumpet playing: Here's [Dipper Mouth Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwpriGltf9g&pp=ygUaIkRpcHBlciBNb3V0aCBCbHVlcywiIDE5MjM%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwpriGltf9g&pp=ygUaIkRpcHBlc...) from 1923 by King Oliver. Note how how every part is really "interlocked" together. Here's [West End Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WPCBieSESI&pp=ygUVIldlc3QgRW5kIEJsdWVzIiAxOTI4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WPCBieSESI&pp=ygUVIldlc3QgR...) from 1928 by Armstrong. Each instrumentalist is showing a _lot_ more technicality in their solos, and the solos are much longer and more isolated. That's one of the big keys -- instrumentalists soloing on their own while the band backs them. Jazz singing: Here's Al Jolson in 1922 doing [Toot, Toot, Tootsie!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlv4b9UCk0c&pp=ygUOQWwgSm9sc29uIDE5MjI%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlv4b9UCk0c&pp=ygUOQWwgSm9sc...). It's very vaudeville, very Broadway. Then here's Armstrong in 1926 doing [Heebie Jeebies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEBMXJwQhNU&pp=ygUTSGVlYmllIEplZWJpZXMgMTkyNg%3D%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEBMXJwQhNU&pp=ygUTSGVlYmllI...). It's much more personal, charismatic, and swinging. He's using some scatting! Improv style: 1917 [Livery Stable Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WojNaU4-kI&pp=ygUYTGl2ZXJ5IFN0YWJsZSBCbHVlcyAxOTE3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WojNaU4-kI&pp=ygUYTGl2ZXJ5I...) 1927 [Potato Head Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeBn_TZ4Iak&pp=ygUmcG90YXRvIGhlYWQgYmx1ZXMgbG91aXMgYXJtc3Ryb25nIDE5Mjc%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeBn_TZ4Iak&pp=ygUmcG90YXRvI...) --- Now let's go forward 20 years to Dizzy Gillespie [Salt Peanuts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg1Wl-NmzWg&pp=ygUhZGl6enkgZ2lsbGVzcGllIHNhbHQgcGVhbnV0cyAxOTQ1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg1Wl-NmzWg&pp=ygUhZGl6enkgZ...). I think it's clear how Louie inspired _so much_ of what Gillespie and the orchestra are doing here. That would go on to morph so many ways over the next 60 years. Hope that helps. I'm no expert -- just a guy who went to school for music and played trumpet, listened to a lot of Armstrong.
- hotnfresh 3y agoThanks a bunch for putting this together, that clears things up a lot. I figured they meant more than just a more-fluent swing, and yeah, it's a lot more than that.
- tomcam 3y ago> I'm no expert Liar! That’s pretty much the best possible Louis Armstrong course possible. Excellent choices+commentary
- felixyz 3y agoThis is a good recent podcast on that very topic: How Louis Armstrong invented the modern pop star https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/how-louis-armstrong-invented-the-modern-pop-star-100-years https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/how-louis-armstrong-inven...