[Dixielandjazz] Louis and the "whistle test"

Paul Kurtz Jr kurtzph at comcast.net
Tue Jul 1 09:21:38 PDT 2014


Charlie, I’m not surprised. There’s a strain of trumpet instruction that pairs whistling with buzzing the lips and with tones that can be played. 
Paul Kurtz Jacksonville, FL
On Jun 26, 2014, at 2:39 PM, Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net> wrote:

> I’ve been out of touch with DJML and most of the jazz community for a long time, working on a book about education in New Orleans during the turbulent decade of 1967-77.  I'm back now with an idle question that's been bugging me. The Armstrong strand reminded me of an anecdote that my foggy memory attributes to a writing about the young Louis. Someone asked him what he could play on the trumpet, and the reply was, "I can play anything I can whistle." I couldn't confirm this on an internet search, but it's so good that I hope it's not apocryphal. In the days when jazz musicians who could "fake" melodies and "take a ride" on a tune were looked down upon by cultural gatekeepers, I always thought that the "whistle-test" testified to authentic musical talent. Does anyone know the source of the anecdote?
> 
> Charlie Suhor
> 
> 
> On Jun 26, 2014, at 11:30 AM, Robert Ringwald wrote:
> 
>> New Louis Armstrong Recording Captures Live Shows of Jazz Great
>> by Bret Saunders
>> Denver Post, June 22, 2014
>> Louis Armstrong often said he was born on July 4, 1900. He actually came into the
>> world he would later change for the better on August 4 of that year. But July 4th
>> is considered to be his "traditional" birthday at the Louis Armstrong House Museum
>> in New York, and why not? He was the quintessential American artist, ushering in
>> swing, excitement and pure joy through his trumpet and voice to popular music in
>> his day. It's hard to imagine not just jazz without his innovations or personality,
>> but much of what came after his explosive early years in the music business.
>> There are, of course, many entry points into Armstrong's music. I might suggest,
>> as many enthusiasts do, that you investigate his easily available Hot Five and Hot
>> Seven recordings from the 1920s. Those vocal-intensive, commercially successful sessions
>> with and without singer Ella Fitzgerald, from the 1950s onward, are universally adored
>> for their warmth. There are boxes and gigabytes of Armstrong awaiting your discovery.
>> And to add to it all, there's a new compilation chronicling the years somewhere between
>> these periods, when his output was merely excellent as opposed to trendsetting or
>> selling in the hundreds of thousands.
>> "The Complete Columbia and RCA Victor Live Recordings of Louis Armstrong and The
>> All Stars" (Mosaic) covers global appearances from 1947-1958, and it's a revelatory,
>> essential package. It's hard to believe that Armstrong was at odds with critics by
>> the '40s, but his style and approach were no longer regarded as cutting-edge. Like
>> many big band leaders of the time, Armstrong was forced by economic realities to
>> scale down his touring groups. Armstrong faced the challenges head on, with accomplished
>> smaller groups of musicians who ably supported his charisma while shining on their
>> own.
>> Nine CDs is a lot of material, and it's a feat in itself how consistently open-hearted
>> and exuberant nearly everything is here. Armstrong's trumpet chops amaze whether
>> he's at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1947 or in Accra, Ghana circa 1956. The innovative
>> clarinetist Edmond Hall is present for most of these sessions, and his virtuosity
>> is an important asset to the success of the music.
>> These recordings, many of which have been unearthed for public enjoyment for the
>> first time, tell a triumphant story. Listening to Armstrong in command of his sound
>> in a period when he was often written off is simply inspiring. He faced adversity
>> with a smile, while committing loving acts of sonic heroism. (Find out more at mosaicrecords.com.)
>> -30
>> 
>> 
>> -Bob Ringwald K6YBV
>> www.ringwald.com
>> 916/ 806-9551
>> 
>> “My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.” 
>> --Rodney Dangerfield
>> 
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