Our fifth episode of ‘How Music Changed’ dedicated to the music of Louis Armstrong covers a very important era in his musical development.

Louis’ experience had already brought him far and wide, from New Orleans and the Mississippi River excursions, to Chicago, New York City, and back to Chicago. Besides hearing all sorts of sophisticated (or ‘sweet’) band music, he couldn’t help but notice how the ‘hot’ bands were attracting most of the attention.

By 1926, the wheels were turning in a way that would allow Louis to inextricably combine the two strains, demanding sophistication from the ‘hot’ players, while making it virtually essential for all musicians to ad lib around the central theme. Within these recordings lies the birth of the “Swing’ era, and the key to virtually all contemporary music.

Titles covered include;

Don’t Forget to Mess Around

King of the Zulus

Skid-Dat-De-Dat

Big Butter and Egg Man

Irish Black Bottom

I’m Goin’ Huntin’ – Jimmy Bertrand’s Washboard Wizards

Wild Man Blues – Johnny Dodds’ Black Bottom Stompers

Wild Man Blues – Louis Armstrong’s Hot Seven

Chicago Breakdown – Louis Armstrong and his Stompers

Potato Head Blues