Legends

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)

Louis Armstrong is considered to be the most famous and inspirational jazz musicians. He was born in New Orleans, LA. At 13 years old he started learning to play the bugle and the cornet. Louis Armstrong learned trumpet from the best local player, Joe "King" Oliver. In 1922, Armstrong was asked to join Oliver's band in Chicago. While in that band he met the piano player, Lil' Hardin. She became his second of four wives. Louis Armstrong had his first recording session while in Oliver's band. An interesting note is that he had such power that while recording he was place further back from the other musicians so that he would not overpower their performances. In 1924 Louis Armstrong left Chicago for New York to join up with Fletcher Henderson's band. He had recording sessions with Henderson and other musicians while in New York. He started to record under his own name when he returned to Chicago in 1925.

After going to Hollywood and back to Chicago, and then, in the early 1930's, Armstrong went to Europe and had great success there. He became world famous and was considered to be the first jazz player to achieve that type of fame. Louis Armstrong played as the headline during the big band swing era and by the later 1940's he returned to the smaller combo style jazz bands. His creativity was highest while he played in the small combo bands. During the 1950s and 1960s he toured the world with his band - Louis Armstrong and the All Stars. In 1964, "Hello Dolly" became his biggest record success.

Duke Ellington (1899-1974)

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington, District of Columbia. He was a piano playing bandleader who focused on an orchestral style jazz band. He was from a middle class family and was afforded a good education. Duke Ellington initially took interest in the ragtime piano playing style but always seemed to have the orchestra style behind him.

In 1922, Duke Ellington attempted a move to New York that ended with financial problems causing him to return to Washington. In 1923, Duke Ellington made the New York move again but this time he went to the Harlem area and was successful. By the mid 1920s his band took form with some members staying with him for more than 50 years.

Duke Ellington's orchestra was booked at the Cotton Club from 1927 to 1932. This period established his music and style. Due to the depression, in 1933 Ellington took his orchestra to Europe and had very good success there. His band was considered the most interesting and exciting larges bands during the jazz swing era. In 1943 his orchestra started to play Carnegie Mellon on a yearly basis.
Ellington was not confined to the usual way of playing and recording jazz. He would create and record longer songs, use voices as instruments and even change the names of his music pieces. Some music composed by Duke Ellington is "Take the A Train" and "Mood Indigo".

Miles Davis (1926-1991)

Miles Davis was born May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois. His father was a dentist and the family was living in a good neighborhood. In 1944 Davis attended Julliard music school in New York but for only a short while. He then wrangled his way into Earl Hines band for a short while. In 1945 Davis found Charlie Parker and lived with him for a while. Davis then joined the Billy Eckstine band and he was just 20 at that time. After playing with Eckstine's band for a couple of years, Davis joined with Parker. Mile Davis' playing style was a slower less note-filled approach to jazz solos. This allowed him to help develop the Cool jazz style of the 1950s.

In 1959, Miles Davis recorded Kind of Blue. This album has been the best selling classic jazz ever. In the late 1960's Mile Davis once again pioneered a newer style of Jazz by leading a way into jazz-fusion. He released "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew". Mile David is perhaps the greatest jazz musician to have steered the course of jazz movements over his career with leading forays into Cool, Modal and Fusion. Some releases from Mile Davis are: Birth of Cool, Kind of Blue and Milestones.