Over at the terrific Dippermouth blog Ricky Riccardi commemorates this tune. Armstrong forgot all about the tune until people in the audience of his shows began shouting for it. He had no idea what it was all about until he was reminded that it was from this forgotten record date. Using a record as a…
The Smithsonian’s curator of American music explains how the history of two great American innovations—Jazz and baseball—are intertwined. H/T to Ricky Riccardi archivist who scanned the photos used. I especially like the one featured here — Pops with mask and smoke . . . American innovationsbaseballduke ellingtonJazzJohn Edward HasseLouis Armstrongnew orleansRicky RiccardiThe Smithsonian
An emotional highlight of the 2013 Satchmo Summerfest in New Orleans as legendary record producer George Avakian was interviewed by Louis Armstrong historians Ricky Riccardi and David Ostwald about a 9-CD boxed set of live recordings of Armstrong that Avakian produced in the 1950s. Towards the end of the interview, the 94-year-old Avakian listens to…
This from The New Yorker. JazzLouis Armstrongmusicnew orleansracism
Here’s a just published book on Pops. JazzLouis ArmstrongModernismmusicnew orleansThomas Brothers
New Year’s Eve was a historic day in Louis Armstrong’s life and it was 101 years ago tonight that Louis got arrested for shooting off his stepfather’s pistol (loaded with blanks) during the evening’s celebration. Sent to the Colored Waif’s Home, Little Louis learned the cornet and… the rest is history! Here is how the…
H/T to the one and only Ricky Riccardi. Scroll down to hear the audio. Also here is a NPR programme with Ricky and the very philosophical Matt Glaser. Christmas at home in Corona (c. 1940s) Christmaschristmas in new orleansJazzLouis Armstronglouis armstrong housematt glaserRicky Riccardi
The Economist reviews Terry Teachout’s latest Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington. Teachout’s blog is one of the most refined and insightful arts blogs around and he wrote a terrific bio of Pops. A man of gargantuan appetites for food and women as well as music, he believed that doing exactly what he wanted when he wanted…
Below is the recipe for Pops’ favourite dish. Here is a recent variation. Pops often signed off his letters with variations of Red Beans And Ricely Yours. No surprise then that there was even an album carrying that title. And after all that gastronomic activity . . . well, you leave it all behind ya.…
I think George Colligan makes a really fine point. After all, even “Pops” had hit singles. Both were great all rounders – and if that makes them an “entertainer”, so what? Furthermore, neither were “uncle Toms”. George ColliganJazzLouis ArmstrongPopular music
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