[Dixielandjazz] Louis Armstrong's private tapes & other memorabilia.

[Stephen Barbone]

List Mates:

Many of us feel that Louis Armstrong's personal tapes should not have
been made public. Well, blame it on Lucille because the recordings,
along with Armstrong's home and its contents, were left to the New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs by Armstrong's wife, Lucille, upon
her death in 1983.

Was this what Louis wanted? I don't know but he left everything to her
and she left the writings and records etc. to New York City. They are at
Queens College in Queens County, NYC and available to the public.

He was, as most of us know, a prolific writer as well as the generator
of some 650 reel to reel tapes. Perhaps the most prolific writer in
Jazz? Did he have his eyes and ears on his place in the history of Jazz?
And so decide to codify his thoughts for future generations? Maybe so.

Cheers,
Steve

PS Each tape is about 4 hours long. That's 2600 hours of priceless
information and music  from this unique and wonderful man.

PPS. For additional insight on Louis the man, you might want to read
"Louis Armstrong In His Own Words", by Thomas Brothers, associate
professor of M usic at Duke University. (Oxford Press) It is a
collections of writings by Pops which as part of that memorabilia, were
previously unpublished and is an interesting read.