Louis Armstrong:1901-1971. When speaking of Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby once commented that he was “the beginning and the end of music in America.” Though Armstrong didn’t single handedly create jazz, he did steer it through five decades of development, breathing structure and imagination into its fiber. In the process he helped change the American cultural landscape. Armstrong was an exceptional trumpeter and singer. His articulation and range on the trumpet were revolutionary and he ushered in soloing to jazz. As a singer he was just as influential, popularizing scat and interpreting both jazz and pop songs with style and heart. Armstrong’s music embodies the energy, soul, and beauty of jazz.

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