Louis Armstrong Continuum — “Art in a Time of Emergency”
Miles Davis once said in an interview, “Everything we try to play, Pops has already played it.” This praise, coming from such a renowned innovator as Davis, underscores the deep, prolific musicianship of Louis Armstrong — the man who bridged the gap between Dixieland and modern jazz.
Armstrong’s musical career was sparked at the Colored Waif’s Home, a juvenile detention center, in New Orleans. There he began cornet lessons, and, sometime later he became an active member of the detention center’s youth band. The incarceration of Louis during his youth proved to be a blessing in disguise. His show business career spanned more than five decades as a consummate trumpet player, vocalist, composer and even actor.
The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, in partnership with the Columbia University Center for Jazz Studies, recently presented a two-day symposium (Day 1) April 8 & (Day 2) April 9, 2021), “Art in a Time of Emergency”. This year’s annual Louis Armstrong Continuum consisted of several thought-provoking panel discussions and performances. This two day program focused on Louis Armstong’s life as a musical warrior and explored the often misunderstood aspersion “Uncle Tom” for which his legacy is still marred by today.
Professor Robert O’Meally, Columbia University’s Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and Comparative Literature and Founder and Director of Columbia University’s Center for Jazz Studies, was the skillful moderator and coordinator of the two-day symposium.
On four separate panels, African-American and German Jazz music scholars exchanged research and perspectives on Armstrong’s role in the Jazz world and his societal contributions.
Armstrong was 18 when the Spanish Flu pandemic (1918-1920) infected some 500 million people worldwide and killing an estimated 50 million. During those trying times, Armstrong not only had to take good care of himself, but he also assisted his sick friends. Then, as we are experiencing now, live music venues were closed — so, Armstrong had to find other means to earn a living.
In his opening remarks, Wynton Marsalis, esteemed trumpeter and manager and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, reminisced about Armstrong’s trying times. Marsalis, like Armstrong, is a native of New Orleans.
Kwami Coleman, Assistant Professor of Music at the Gallatin School at New York University, compared New York City’s Harlem to Armstrong’s childhood neighborhood, Storyville — one of the tougher neighborhoods in New Orleans. He pointed out that despite rich the cultural traditions in historically Black neighborhoods, outsiders’ points of concentration often were the community’s poverty, vice and the vulgarity of everyday life. Outsiders hardly realized that those conditions were the source for much of Armstrong’s music. Coleman’s reflections depicted how Armstrong was always able to turn demeaning situations into positive ones. He recalled, also, the days when jazz was considered the “Devil’s music” — even during the Harlem Renaissance, the Black bourgeoisie typically thought Jazz to be vulgar. To them it was the music played by commoners and it had no place in Black society. But Jazz was the music that made Armstrong and bandleaders Fletcher Henderson and Luis Russell. While living in New York, Louis played in both their bands. Coleman recommended that the audience listen to “Laughing Louie”, a 1937 novelty song on which the trumpeter “rapped” a little before swinging out. Yes, he was an early hip-hopper. Coleman inferred that Armstrong’s music was a gateway to Black music, Black speech, Black movement and Black fashion.
Gina Belafonte spoke at the symposium about how she and her father, Harry Belafonte, thought that Armstrong was very savvy, strategical and a master entertainer. Belafonte noted that despite Armstrong’s juvenile incarceration, he was able to convert his misfortune into something positive. “Your most unlucky moment doesn’t define you; it can help you rise above that moment,” she explained. Gina and her father are the executive producers of Lyrics From Lockdown, a multimedia production that addresses the impact of wrongful imprisonment and mass incarceration.
Dr. Wolfram Knauer of the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, discussed Armstrong’s political activism. After what became known as “Bloody Sunday” during an Alabama civil rights protest in 1965, Armstrong commented “How are human beings still being treated like this. Hitler is dead, isn’t he?” He also pointed out that in 1957, Armstrong was invited to perform in the USSR on a Goodwill Tour, but he refused to go, stating “You can go to hell for what you do to my people.” He did, however, travel to perform in Ghana. Armstrong was aware that his music had an effect on people beyond its sound. “That horn ain’t prejudice, a note is a note,” he once said.
Armstrong’s declining European tours and his actions seem to contradict those labeling him “Uncle Tom”. Many of his detractors were often influenced by hearsay or by films in which he was continually grinning. But, I would like people to remember that Dizzy Gillespie was often seen smiling and joking — but never considered to being an “Uncle Tom” type.
During the panel discussion “Armstrong’s Influence on 21st Century Jazz Artists”, pianist Jason Moran dismissed the label “Uncle Tom” by reprising the story of Uncle Tom. Armstrong “transformed jazz by using his art as a tool. The way he walked through the world was radical and his form of joy was a protest.” Armstrong recognized that the amazing sound from his horn was a form of social justice. “It was a sound that breaks the back of words,” as Toni Morrison would say.
Yale University professor Daphne Brooks brought the feminist’s perspective — one that is often missing in jazz discussions. She introduced the music of vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant, comparing her to Louis Armstrong. As did Armstrong, Cecile forces her audiences to live its American culture as did Abbey Lincoln and Billie Holiday. Award scientist and author Ainissa Ramirez discussed the element of time and how it coincided with both Albert Einstein and Louis Armstrong.
To see the many noted Black scholars at the Continuum is a testament to the perseverance of jazz music. A recommendation to the organizers: Considering that Louis Armstrong was a man of the people, grassroots jazz organizations should be invited to participate as well as to share their perspectives on Armstrong. The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation has generously, over the years, given aid to thousands of young people . Why not have them and students from other jazz oriented organizations as panelists?
Throughout the Continuum panelists shared some of Armstrong’s great recordings with Ella Fitzgerald during Norman Granz‘s sessions and the Hot Five dating back to the 1928 hit “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” to “Hello Dolly” and beyond. There is so much more to learn about the Armstrong legacy, The Louis Armstrong Continuum explorations remains vital .
Of course, we all are looking forward to the demise of COVID-19, and, to a time when we can blissfully emerge ourselves in stimulating conversation and live music. It’s the up-close-in-person-connection to the artist that is, without a doubt, what really motivates us.
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