Creative Resilience & Aging: Louis Armstrong, Race, & Growing Old in the ‘60s

Abstract

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was among the century's most beloved musicians and public personalities, serving as “Ambassador Satch” on a never-ending tour that took him to virtually every corner of the world. Yet for all his fame, too few understand the depths of his artistry, an astoundingly innovative and influential performer as both trumpeter and vocalist. Even jazz fans who admire his 1920s recordings with the Hot Fives and Sevens often dismiss his later work. The truth is that Louis continued to mature as an artist throughout his later decades, working in an ever-widening variety of contexts and reaching places never attained by the younger Louis.