Louis Armstrong Playing the Trumpet (1953)

Louis Armstrong Playing the Trumpet (1953)From the 1920s to the 60s, Louis Armstrongor Satchmowas among the most interesting, innovative, and unforgettable figures in jazz. This trumpet and cornet player, composer, vocalist, and sometimes actor was revered just as much for his improvisational playing style as his one of a kind gravelly singing (and occasionally scatting) voice. Perhaps the greatest example of his strengths came on the landmark recording What a Wonderful World in 1967. But

From the 1920s to the ’60s, Louis Armstrong—or “Satchmo”—was among the most interesting, innovative, and unforgettable figures in jazz. This trumpet and cornet player, composer, vocalist, and sometimes actor was revered just as much for his improvisational playing style as his one-of-a-kind gravelly singing (and occasionally scatting) voice.

Perhaps the greatest example of his strengths came on the landmark recording “What a Wonderful World” in 1967. But more significant than any particular song or sound was Armstrong’s unique ability to be one of the very first black artists to ever cross over into the mainstream.

Armstrong was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award a year after his passing from a heart attack in 1971. He’s also enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and practically every other musical institution for which he qualifies, while his vast influence on jazz through this very day is incalculable.