- 288 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
Throughout his life, Louis Armstrong tried to explain how singing with a barbershop quartet on the streets of New Orleans was foundational to his musicianship. Until now, there has been no in-depth inquiry into what he meant when he said, "I figure singing and playing is the same, " or, "Singing was more into my blood than the trumpet." Creating the Jazz Solo: Louis Armstrong and Barbershop Harmony shows that Armstrong understood exactly the relationship between what he sang and what he played, and that he meant these comments to be taken literally: he was singing through his horn.To describe the relationship between what Armstrong sang and played, author Vic Hobson discusses elements of music theory with a style accessible even to readers with little or no musical background. Jazz is a music that is often performed by people with limited formal musical education. Armstrong did not analyze what he played in theoretical terms. Instead, he thought about it in terms of the voices in a barbershop quartet.Understanding how Armstrong, and other pioneer jazz musicians of his generation, learned to play jazz and how he used his background of singing in a quartet to develop the jazz solo has fundamental implications for the teaching of jazz history and performance today. This assertive book provides an approachable foundation for current musicians to unlock the magic and understand jazz the Louis Armstrong way.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Chapter 1: âSinging Was More into My Blood, Than the Trumpetâ
- Chapter 2: âSinging Was My Lifeâ
- Chapter 3: âAlways Had Music All Around Meâ
- Chapter 4: Church Is Where âI Acquired My Singing Tacticsâ
- Chapter 5: âWhen I Was at School, I Played All Classical Musicâ
- Chapter 6: âMy Brazilian Beautyâ
- Chapter 7: âMe and Music Got Married in the Homeâ
- Chapter 8: âI Was Singing Selling Coalâ
- Chapter 9: Did Bunk Teach Louis?
- Chapter 10: âGoing to the Conservatoryâ
- Chapter 11: âDippermouth Bluesâ
- Chapter 12: Fletcher Henderson: âThat Big Fish Horn Voice of Hisâ
- Chapter 13: âThe Pride of Raceâ: When Louis Sang with Erskine Tate
- Chapter 14: Lilâs Hot Shots
- Chapter 15: The Hot Five and Seven
- Chapter 16: âI Figure Singing and Playing Is the Sameâ
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index