Question
Every once in a while, someone comes along who changes everything. In basketball, there's Michael Jordan. In medicine, there's Florence Nightingale. There are other examples, including William Shakespeare, Rosa Parks, and Albert Einstein. There's someone like that in jazz, too. His name was Louis Armstrong.
Armstrong's career as a singer and trumpet player took off during the 1920s. That decade was a time of artistic change in the United States. In New York City, for example, Black artists, musicians, and writers gathered in an area called Harlem. They created new art, music, and literature. Their work was so powerful and influential that the era became known as the Harlem Renaissance. Armstrong was a key part of that movement. His artistry changed music forever.
Louis Armstrong hit the jazz scene in the early 1920s. At that time, there were several unwritten rules in jazz. Almost everyone followed them. The first was that jazz was an ensemble form of music. All the musicians created a unique sound by playing together as a group. Solos were brief. Each lasted only a handful of beats. Solos were usually done in a staccato style. That meant the notes were short sounds. There were brief pauses in between them. They sounded like bim (pause), bom (pause), bum (pause). Armstrong's trumpet playing stood out because he used a legato style. In other words, he played musical notes in a smooth, flowing manner without breaks. Legato solos sounded like bimmmbommmbummm.
Armstrong's solos became famous for their length and beauty. They had beginnings, middles, and ends. Each had a unique expressive sound. Music scholars have said his trumpet seemed to have a voice of its own. It had a story to tell. Armstrong's style caught on quickly. Before long, just about every jazz band featured a flashy soloist. Even today, Armstrong's influence can be felt. It's clear in the minutes-long piano solos by performers like Alicia Keys.
Armstrong also changed the way many people sang. His voice had a gravelly sound. It was unlike that of any other popular singer of his time. Also, Armstrong sometimes just made up words. His song "Heebie Jeebies" contains lyrics that sound like doo doo dee dap doobop boop bop da doobop. His voice always sounded relaxed. It told a story and fit perfectly with the instrumentalists. Armstrong didn't just sing a song the way it was written. Instead, he changed the lyrics or melody to fit his style. Today, various artists may sing the same song. But their versions are seldom the same as the original. Songs such as Lady Gaga's "Your Song" and Harry Styles's "Big Yellow Taxi" are both "cover songs." That means someone else wrote them. The artists changed them to fit their own style, just like Louis Armstrong did.
Armstrong's extraordinary performances and charming personality helped him reach millions of music enthusiasts across the globe. Later in his life, Armstrong also became one of many Black artists to speak out about civil rights. Armstrong criticized President Eisenhower's handling of school desegregation. Because of his cultural stature, his words carried weight. In the end, Armstrong's influence might best be summed up by Dizzy Gillespie. He was another one of jazz's great innovators. When asked about Armstrong, Dizzy famously said, "No him, no me." That's a feeling that might apply to modern music in general. Thanks to Armstrong, Gillespie was able to have his own thriving jazz career.
Video Transcript: Louis Armstrong
Video credit: © Achieve3000
Question 2
2 / 8
This Article would help a student write an essay on __________.
Dizzy Gillespie's jazz career
the history of jazz music in America
President Eisenhower's successes
the art of the Harlem Renaissance
Armstrong's career as a singer and trumpet player took off during the 1920s. That decade was a time of artistic change in the United States. In New York City, for example, Black artists, musicians, and writers gathered in an area called Harlem. They created new art, music, and literature. Their work was so powerful and influential that the era became known as the Harlem Renaissance. Armstrong was a key part of that movement. His artistry changed music forever.
Louis Armstrong hit the jazz scene in the early 1920s. At that time, there were several unwritten rules in jazz. Almost everyone followed them. The first was that jazz was an ensemble form of music. All the musicians created a unique sound by playing together as a group. Solos were brief. Each lasted only a handful of beats. Solos were usually done in a staccato style. That meant the notes were short sounds. There were brief pauses in between them. They sounded like bim (pause), bom (pause), bum (pause). Armstrong's trumpet playing stood out because he used a legato style. In other words, he played musical notes in a smooth, flowing manner without breaks. Legato solos sounded like bimmmbommmbummm.
Armstrong's solos became famous for their length and beauty. They had beginnings, middles, and ends. Each had a unique expressive sound. Music scholars have said his trumpet seemed to have a voice of its own. It had a story to tell. Armstrong's style caught on quickly. Before long, just about every jazz band featured a flashy soloist. Even today, Armstrong's influence can be felt. It's clear in the minutes-long piano solos by performers like Alicia Keys.
Armstrong also changed the way many people sang. His voice had a gravelly sound. It was unlike that of any other popular singer of his time. Also, Armstrong sometimes just made up words. His song "Heebie Jeebies" contains lyrics that sound like doo doo dee dap doobop boop bop da doobop. His voice always sounded relaxed. It told a story and fit perfectly with the instrumentalists. Armstrong didn't just sing a song the way it was written. Instead, he changed the lyrics or melody to fit his style. Today, various artists may sing the same song. But their versions are seldom the same as the original. Songs such as Lady Gaga's "Your Song" and Harry Styles's "Big Yellow Taxi" are both "cover songs." That means someone else wrote them. The artists changed them to fit their own style, just like Louis Armstrong did.
Armstrong's extraordinary performances and charming personality helped him reach millions of music enthusiasts across the globe. Later in his life, Armstrong also became one of many Black artists to speak out about civil rights. Armstrong criticized President Eisenhower's handling of school desegregation. Because of his cultural stature, his words carried weight. In the end, Armstrong's influence might best be summed up by Dizzy Gillespie. He was another one of jazz's great innovators. When asked about Armstrong, Dizzy famously said, "No him, no me." That's a feeling that might apply to modern music in general. Thanks to Armstrong, Gillespie was able to have his own thriving jazz career.
Video Transcript: Louis Armstrong
Video credit: © Achieve3000
Question 2
2 / 8
This Article would help a student write an essay on __________.
Dizzy Gillespie's jazz career
the history of jazz music in America
President Eisenhower's successes
the art of the Harlem Renaissance
Answers
GPT-5 mini
the history of jazz music in America