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Louis Armstrong

Portrait Gallery

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
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Object Details

Artist

Anton Bruehl, 1900 - 10 Aug 1982

Sitter

Louis Armstrong, 4 Aug 1901 - 6 Jul 1971

Exhibition Label

A trumpet virtuoso and innovative vocalist, jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong helped transform the genre into an international phenomenon. Raised in New Orleans, where he first learned to play the cornet, Armstrong was recruited for “King” Oliver’s Chicago-based Creole Jazz Band in 1922. When the opportunity to perform with Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra took Armstrong to New York City in 1924, his technical prowess and rhythmic ingenuity played a critical role in the development of the new musical style known as “swing.”
After forming his own band—the Hot Five—in 1925, Armstrong made a series of memorable recordings that secured his reputation as both the first great jazz soloist and a vocalist as skilled at “scat” singing as he was at melody. When the swing era gave way to bebop following World War II, he rode the wave of the Dixieland jazz revival, becoming its most popular performer.
Nacido en Nueva Orleans, Luisiana
Virtuoso de la trompeta y vocalista innovador, Louis Armstrong fue uno de los pioneros del jazz que transformaron el género en un fenómeno internacional. Creció en Nueva Orleans, donde aprendió a tocar la corneta, y en 1922 fue reclutado por “King” Oliver para su Creole Jazz Band, radicada en Chicago. En 1924 se le presentó la oportunidad de tocar con la orquesta de Fletcher Henderson en Nueva York, donde su maestría técnica y su genio rítmico fueron cruciales en el desarrollo del nuevo estilo conocido como swing.
Tras fundar su propia banda, Hot Five, en 1925, Armstrong grabó una serie de memorables discos que consolidaron su reputación como primer gran solista de jazz y vocalista tan diestro en el scat como en la melodía. Cuando el swing cedió el paso al bebop, luego de la 2a Guerra Mundial, Armstrong aprovechó el resurgimiento del jazz dixieland, convirtiéndose en su más popular exponente.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Date

1935

Object number

NPG.2001.77

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© Estate of Anton Bruehl

Type

Photograph

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 24.8 x 19.4cm (9 3/4 x 7 5/8")
Sheet: 25.7 x 20.2cm (10 1/8 x 7 15/16")
Mount: 27.9 x 22.8cm (11 x 9")
Mat: 55.9 x 40.6cm (22 x 16")
Frame: 59.7 x 43.8 x 3.8cm (23 1/2 x 17 1/4 x 1 1/2")

Place

United States\New York\Kings\New York

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation

On View

NPG, West Gallery 240

Data Source

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Music\Musical instrument\Trumpet
Interior\Studio\Photography
Louis Armstrong: Male
Louis Armstrong: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Film\Movie actor
Louis Armstrong: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Performer\Comedian
Louis Armstrong: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer\Jazz singer
Louis Armstrong: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Jazz musician
Louis Armstrong: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Horn player\Trumpeter
Louis Armstrong: Performing arts awards\Grammy
Portrait

Metadata Usage

Usage conditions apply

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4db40dacc-a1b6-4016-a3ed-88eb80bf1e72

Record ID

npg_NPG.2001.77

Discover More

Jazz Photography

Jazz Portraiture

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