The Early Musical Development of Louis Armstrong in Chicago and New York, 1923-1928
Trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) gave some of the most innovative jazz performances of the 1920s. Inspired by New Orleans clarinetists and drummers, he cultivated an unusually arpeggiated solo cornet style enlivened by a strong sense of rhythmic "swing." These features merged with traits acquired in the north—such as triadic extensions, tempo rubato, and a confident upper register—to produce the polished vernacular of his mature music in the 20s.
