Honoring Louis Armstrong

I am not entirely sure how a bridge between Seal in the Soul and R&B genres and Wynton Marsalis in the jazz genre can be made.  Polar opposites once again.  I suppose I felt compelled to share a profound tribute to a jazz classic that I happened to come across on YouTube.  

My last jazz theme was in February, highlighting The Rippingtons and Weekend in Monaco.  While I love the smooth jazz genre, classic jazz - such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, and Chris Botti - creates a timeless and iconic sound that, in my opinion, does not evolve to keep up with modern expectations.

And so in this post, I am honoring Louis Armstrong.

Background -

August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971

Born and raised in New Orleans

Nicknames - Satchmo, Satch, Pops

Career - 1920s to 1960s

Career - Spanned through the history of jazz

Influential in jazz ... Influential singer

*Quote from Wikipedia - "...whose skin color became secondary to his music in an America that was extremely racially divided..." (1960s reference)

*Quote from Wikipedia - "...took a well-publicized stand for desegregation in the Little Rock crisis." (Civil Rights Movement reference)

Personal note -

When I was an undergraduate in college, I wrote an essay for a Constitutional Law course I enrolled in regarding segregation in American education during the Civil Rights Movement.  My essay was later published in the inaugural edition of ESSAI - a compilation of elite works across many disciplines.

Louis Armstrong's early life and lengthy career could easily go on for some time in this post, so I will direct you to Wikipedia for details.

Honor -

- Hollywood Walk of Fame (1960)

- Grammy Award for Male Vocal Performance

"Hello, Dolly!" (1964)

- Grammy Hall of Fame (12 recordings ranging from 1925 to 1967)

- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1972)*

*Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences - Presented to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance in the field of recording (Wikipedia)

- Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1978)

- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1990)

- Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame (2007)

- Inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (2007)

- Inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (2017)

Louis Armstrong's legacy after death is profound and everlasting.  His honors, achievements, and recognition continue well beyond what is listed above.  

In two words to complete this post honoring Louis Armstrong - Inspirational and Influential.