Louis Armstrong  1901-1971 (“Satchmo” “Pops.” )  Paul Goldfinger photo from the Ken Burns documentary (2001) called “Jazz.”

Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, 1920’s. Paul Goldfinger photo from Ken Burns doc  Jazz.©

By Paul Goldfinger, MD    Editor@Blogfinger.net

Louis Armstrong was a genius who changed the way music was played and sung. Instrumentalists copied his style as did all the great singers. He came up in an era when blacks were excluded from many opportunities in music, but so many of them, including Armstrong, were so original and brilliant that their skin color had to be ignored.  Armstrong was very sensitive to racial issues in jazz music.

He played in Roseland, the huge dance hall in mid-town, but there only whites could dance even thought the musicians were often black.

But he was most beloved in Harlem at the Savoy Ballroom where non-stop jazz music was performed and where the dance floor was integrated.  They played swing music and dance tunes for the Lindy Hoppers.

His career began in the 1920’s and spanned 50 years. Over those decades, he participated in a wide variety of music, but mostly jazz.

Louis Armstrong and his orchestra:  “Thanks a Million’ was a movie in 1935. This song is from that film

"Thanks a million, a million thanks to you
For everything that love could bring you brought me
Each tender love-word you happened to say
Is hidden away
In memory's bouquet."