Satchmo

Maybe you've heard of Louis Armstrong in passing, or vaguely recall reading his name somewhere. Turns out, Armstrong was an incredibly successful trumpet player and singer, his career jumpstarting during the '20s, and continuing all the way until his death in 1971.
Armstrong redefined and reshaped jazz during his lifetime, even though he faced steep obstacles on his journey to musical success. Armstrong was born in 1901 in the poorest area of New Orleans, to a single mother who raised him. Rather than selling lemonade on street corners like today's youth, Armstrong made pennies by singing with a local vocal group. Armstrong also worked for a Jewish family, doing odd jobs and such. This family gave him his first cornet, a type of trumpet. Just when things finally started looking up for Armstrong, he was arrested on New Year's eve of 1912 for shooting a pistol at the sky in celebration. Armstrong was separated from his mother, who was deemed unfit to raise him, and was placed in a Waif's home for orphans at just 11 years old.

The strict rules and discipline at the orphanage led Armstrong to seek relief, which he found through music. He worked towards mastering the cornet, and by the time he was released a couple years later, he had become a talented musician. Armstrong found a fatherly figure and model for success in Joe "King" Oliver, who became his mentor. Oliver found a spot for Armstrong in Kid Ory's pacesetting band. After a couple years, Armstrong once more worked under Oliver in his band, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. By the time he joined the band, Armstrong was a talented, well-rounded musician with a wide range and exciting cornet style. A pianist in the band, Lil Harden, who later became Lil Armstrong, convinced Armstrong to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, where he wouldn't have to constrain himself in order to protect his mentor's ego.
The Orchestra was stiff and rigid in its musical stylings, using staccato phrases, and hadn't learned how to "swing". This is where Armstrong began to change American Jazz- upon his arrival, the orchestra began to adopt his unique stylings. Armstrong used legato notes and blues in his music and expressed himself and his story through it. This passion fueled him, and inspired those he worked with. Armstrong's swinging solos awed those who heard them, and his emphasis on improvisation while he played furthered his unique style.
One example of his improv while playing was his use of scat during one of his concerts. Popular legend tells that Armstrong dropped his sheet music while he playing, and he hadn't memorized the words. A quick fix, Armstrong began using nonsensical words instead of stopping, which led to the popularization of scat as a new type of music.
Armstrong's career led to worldwide fame when he started regularly recording his music, which led him to become a household staple in Europe. Armstrong became a world traveler, and his lovable personality made him ever more popular. By the end of his life, Armstrong had redefined the basis of jazz and had completely invented a new style of music, scat. These accomplishments are what he leaves as a legacy today- America's favorite cornet player.

Yanow, Scott. “Louis Armstrong... and All That Jazz.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 18 Aug. 2016, www.biography.com/news/louis-armstrong-biography-facts.