[Dixielandjazz] Louis and the "whistle test"

[Charles Suhor]

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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