100 Years Of Satchmo - Louis Armstrong - Brief Article

THEY called him Satchmo, Satch, Dippermouth, Pops and Sweet Papa Dip, among others. He was, as his musical descendant Wynton Marsalis has noted, the Thomas Edison of jazz--an innovator of unparalleled imagination who pioneered a universally recognized and revered musical language. A dirt-poor kid from New Orleans, he grew into a trumpet-playing virtuoso whose instrumental wails and improvisational vocal warblings forever changed the way American music was played and sung. Even today, we hear the echo of his influence in contemporary song. For he not only helped lay the foundation for jazz, he also prepared the ground for all of jazz's progeny, including swing, be-bop, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and rap.

It is no wonder then, that nearly 30 years after his death, Louis Armstrong remains an enduring and endearing international figure. That's why the 100th anniversary of his birth is a cause for such celebration.

Plans to mark Louis Armstrong's 100th birthday are gearing up to swing like the old maestro used to. In most places dedicated to honoring the Armstrong century, the commemoration is going to be a year-long event. The lengthy tribute is not only a testament to Armstrong's stature as a musical icon, it's also an effort to ameliorate to the confusion that swirls around his birth date.

Throughout his life, Armstrong maintained that he was born on July 4, 1900, a fittingly patriotic birthday for one of the most popular ambassadors of America's first original music form. But in 1983, 12 years after his death, a writer working on an Armstrong biography unearthed a birth certificate that proved the musician's actual birth date was August 4, 1901. It's not clear whether Armstrong actually knew his real birth date and simply claimed the new one--a day he celebrated in grand style for most of his life--for dramatic effect. Most Armstrong enthusiasts say it doesn't matter. The dual birth dates now provide a convenient excuse for a year of reflection and celebration of Armstrong's art and influence.

Ground zero for the centenary celebration is the Louis Armstrong Archives housed at Queens College in Flushing, N.Y. The archival center is the repository of a fascinating collection of Armstrong's personal photographs, papers, private recordings, memorabilia and musical instruments. In addition to maintaining the house in Corona, Queens--now declared a National Historic Landmark--where Louis and his wife of 43 years lived until they died in 1971 and 1983 respectively, the center also maintains a Web site (www.satchmo.net) that will serve as the electronic bulletin board for announcements and updates about the events planned in honor of the century of Louis Armstrong.

Among the most comprehensive presentation is "100 Years of Armstrong," a series of programs sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center, the New York arts organization dedicated to promoting the appreciation and understanding of jazz. With artistic director Wynton Marsalis at the helm, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra kicks off its Armstrong tributes with a July 4 concert at New Jersey's Liberty State Park, overlooking Manhattan. And for four nights in December, the orchestra will present a nationally televised Armstrong-inspired concert as part of PBS's Live from Lincoln Center program. In addition, Armstrong scholars and prominent experts will present a series of lectures.

But the tributes don't stop there. At major jazz festivals in New Orleans, Montreal and Monterey and throughout the world, music aficionados will salute the anniversary of the birth of the man whose inventive musical mind and astounding technical abilities helped define the very essence of jazz.

It's the least we could do for a man who gave the world so much music and so much joy.