Just a Lucky So and So

He was born "Black, poor, and lucky." The glowing story of "Satchmo"—the great jazz musician, Louis Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong has been called the most important improviser in the history of jazz. Although his New Orleans neighborhood was poor in nearly everything else, it was rich in superb music. Young Louis took it all in, especially the cornet blowing of  Joe "King" Oliver. But after a run-in with the police, 11-year-old Louis was sent away to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys where he became a disciplined musician in the school’s revered marching band.

Ultimately, he was to travel the world from Chicago to Paris and would transform jazz through his improvised singing ("scatting") and masterful trumpet playing. He played with Duke Ellington,… Keep Reading