MY FAVORITE AMERICAN JAZZ MUSICIAN, LOUIS ARMSTRONG: I became besotted with 20th century American jazz when I was a girl because of Louis Armstrong (1901 – 1971). For a nine-year old who loved to dance to her own tune, Armstrong was magic – magic because of his dexterity as an improviser. He would bend the lyrics and melody of a song for exquisite personal expression in unique ways every time he picked up his horn. Armstrong had a long and illustrious career beginning in the ‘jazz age,’ the 1920s. His most famous songs include ‘Hello, Dolly,’ ‘What a Wonderful World,’ and ‘Ain’t Misbehaving.’
