Louis Armstrong essentials

A new book titled Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of Louis Armstrong  a beautiful hardbound coffee table style book, a biography in the form of an art book. It tells the story of Armstrong’s life through his writings, scrapbooks, and artworks, many of which have never been published before. Armstrong was the single greatest creative artist in the history of jazz and the American popular song. A true American original, he was prolific in coining colorful expressions that entered the lexicon; he wrote long, colorful prose pieces about his experiences; and he made hundreds of collages using marvelous photographs that capture archetypal scenes in the life of a jazz musician. Everything he did was an extension of his artistry.

 

Satchmo

Discography

Discover and enjoy!

Jazz Reference

 Penguin Guide to Jazz

This new 9th addition is what I use when I need to research new artist or albums that I am not familiar with. Laid out in “liner notes” fashion which gives a nice amount of info on artist, group, or album. Of course I do not agree with all of the recommendations, some selections are rated lower on their scale and I may prefer that instead of the authors choice based on my personal opinion. Still this is a must for any serious collector. A great source of Jazz history.