Greatest Jazz Musician during the Harlem Renaissance

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The video above shows Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet live. Source: "Louis Armstrong Live." YouTube. YouTube, 30 Apr. 2007. Web. 15 Jan. 2013
                     
                            "Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it."
                                                                 -Louis Armstrong

 Louis Armstrong was a famous jazz musician during the Harlem Renaissance. He was born August 4th, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana to a very poor family as the son of William Armstrong and Mary Albert and was the Grandson of a slaves. Louis Armstrong began playing music at age 11. He is famously nicknamed Satchmo, Pops, and the most famous of them all, the Ambassador of Satch. Personally, I think Louis Armstrong was the most influential musician in jazz during the Harlem Renaissance. His work in Jazz music has had a large influence on current Jazz music and musicians. He was one of the hardest working, talented, and dedicated musicians ever! His music will forever and always be associate with the Harlem Renaissance and he will always be remember for his hard work, incredible talent, and unique sound. He will also always remain one of my favorite musician to ever live!   

What is Jazz?

    Image Source:"Http://www.jazzrochester.com/images/jazzwsax.jpg." Http://www.jazzrochester.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

 Jonathan Batiste, the founder of Stay Human Band and the associate artistic director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, described jazz when asked what jazz is by CNN. This was his response:

 "Jazz is subtle, emotional and accommodating. It is intellectual and sometimes even scientific. Most genres of music are not nearly as multidimensional, which in part is why the art form has such a small audience. In stark comparison to pop music, contemporary jazz seems too circuitous for most listeners to enjoy casually. The challenge for the contemporary jazz musician, as I see it, is making this subtle and complex art palatable to the greater public."

Jazz is complex. Some of the greatest musical minds of all-time were jazz artists. They were able to master their instruments, redefine music theory and repeatedly innovate the already formidable body of work present before them. Many of them did so while navigating through the tumultuous social climate from which the music was birthed."

"Jazz is a tradition."

"The way jazz musicians walk, talk and greet each other, and the way they play is very distinct. To be a jazz artist is to be a part of a lineage. To play jazz is to contribute to world history. To be a part of this tradition means that you are challenged to transform other people with the sound of your instrument. You are challenged to swing. You are challenged to contribute to the body of work established by some of the greatest artistic minds of all time..."

"Jazz is an experience."

"Jazz is wonderful because it's all about the moment, and I firmly believe in creating unforgettable experiences. With the Stay Human band, it's never only about the stage. What we love is taking the music to the people in the streets -- jumping off stage into the audience, performing in moving vehicles, New York subways, streets and, yes, unsuspecting restaurants."

"For me, jazz is all about transformation in the moment. It is the most immediate form of musical expression in existence, and the language that we use to state our deepest, truest feelings. It is the American art form that is globally owned."

"What is jazz?"

"Jazz is now!"

Source: Batiste, Jonathan, and The Opinions Expressed in This Commentary Are Solely Those of Jonathan Batiste. "What Is Jazz?" CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Dec. 2012. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.

Famous Places

                             "Google Images." Google Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.


"….the Apollo probably exerted a greater influence upon popular culture than any other entertainment venue in the world. For blacks it was the most important cultural institution–not just the greatest black theatre, but a special place to come of age emotionally, professionally, socially, and politically. Ted Fox, “Showtime at the Apollo”

Ted Fox is an American author. He wrote the book Showtime at the Apollo. This is an excerpt from Showtime at the Apollo during the Harlem Renaissance.

 Showtime at the Apollo — The 1930s:

"In the Swing era, bands were an integral part of any Apollo show. Not only were the bands on hand to showcase their own talents and play their hit tunes, but they also played for all the acts on the bill. One week, the Nicholas Brothers might dance to the sounds of Jimmie Lunceford's orchestra, while the next time they played the Apollo it could be to the accompaniment of Duke Ellington or Claude Hopkins or Count Basie..."
  

Source:
"The Apollo Theatre - The Harlem Renaissance." The Harlem Renaissance. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

                   The Harlem Renaissance Poets and Musicians
                                           by Samuel Black

            Source:"Http://ionenewsone.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/bessy-smith1.jpg." Http://ionenewsone.files.wordpress.com. N.p., n.d. Web.


              "Bessie Smith, the greatest blues singer of all ages, was an integral part of the renaissance. She performed at the Cotton Club in Harlem and was called the “Empress of the Blues.” Her recordings over the period of 1923 to 1933 elevated her to one of the highest levels in jazz history. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1894 and went from rags to riches. Her presence could be felt when she stepped on the stage and her six foot personality started to sing. She embarked upon her career by performing at the age of nine and often appeared with her brother, Andrew, who was a guitarist. She was mentored by Ma Rainey, who is considered to be the first woman to sing the Blues.


Bessie’s major contribution came in 1920 during the Harlem Renaissance with her recording Crazy Blues. Other smash hits of hers were, Downhearted Blues and Golf Coast Blues. These recordings helped save Columbia Records from bankruptcy because of their high record sales (Hemsworth). Bessie was considered one of the highest paid female African-American entertainers in the United States of America. Over the years she appeared at major concerts and recordings. Bessie was called from labor to reward in September 1937 as a result of an automobile accident in Mississippi. She will always be remembered as the “Empress of the Blues.”

Source: "The Harlem Renaissance Poets and Musicians." The Harlem Renaissance Poets and Musicians. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.