What a wonderful world : the magic of Louis Armstrong's later years / Ricky Riccardi.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Riccardi, Ricky, 1980-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971.

Armstrong, Louis.

Jazz musicians--United States--Biography.

Jazz musicians.

African American musicians.

United States.

African American musicians--United States--Biography.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xxii, 369 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Pantheon Books, [2011]

Summary:

Much has been written about Louis Armstrong, but the majority of it focuses on the early and middle stages of his long career. Now, Ricky Riccardi--jazz scholar and musician--takes an in-depth look at the years in which Armstrong was often dismissed as a buffoonish, if popular, entertainer, and shows us instead the inventiveness and depth of expression that his music evinced during this time. These are the years (from after World War II until his death in 1971) when Armstrong entertained crowds around the world and recorded his highest-charting hits, including "Mack the Knife" and "Hello, Dolly!"; years when he collaborated with, among others, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck; when he recorded with strings and big bands, and, of course, with the All Stars, his primary recording ensemble. Riccardi makes clear that these were years in which Armstrong enhanced his legacy as one of jazz's most influential figures.--From publisher description.

Contents:

Birth of the All Stars

Europe, 1948

King of the Zulus, 1949

Decca days, 1950-1951

Personnel changes, 1951-1952

The King of Jazz meets the King of Swing, 1953

A brush with the law, 1953-1954

Columbia masterpieces, 1954-1955

Ambassador Satch, 1955-1956

Wrath of the critics, 1956

Showdown, 1957

The rigors of touring at home and abroad, 1957-1959

The vicissitudes of cardiac arrest, 1959-1960

From the Dukes of Dixieland to Dave Brubeck, 1960-1963

Hello, Dolly! 1964

From the Iron Curtain to the Crescent City, 1965-1966

What a wonderful world, 1967-1968

Winter of his discontent, 1968-1970

Good evening, everybody, 1970-1971.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780307378446

0307378446

OCLC:

676923220