[Dixielandjazz] Re: Weary Lip blues

[Mike C.]

You have to consider that Armstrong played constantly. Two shows a day, 
the majority of the year for decades. Plus, Louie had a heart attack 
back in 1959. The man was just plum tired and it started to show in the 
early 1960's. Not only that, trumpet is a very demanding instrument to 
play and it doesn't get any easier when you get older. I was told that 
the departure of Trummy Young in 1964(At trummy's wife's insistance) and 
the deaths of singer Velma Middleton (in 1961) and pianist Billy Kyle(in 
1966) really weighed on him heavily.

Mike



 >>Truth is, Armstrong's lips looked like they had been through a meat
grinder-pieces were actually missing from his lips due to his 
"exaggerated  playing."
I remember reading that at one performance he bled all over his  white 
shirt
and had to quit blowing.

No amount of rest would have helped. Perhaps this is why he sang more and
more, and played less and less as he grew older. While I liked his scat 
songs, I
  was always disappointed when a recording I purchased failed to have the
sound of  his trumpet- Just a personal preference I guess-


tradjazz