Update, April 17: NYT just out with interesting analysis of how the play treats Armstrong, and another new play on Lady Day. I have to agree that the one fault in "Satchmo" was not quite enough sense of his true genius and influence as the century's most important American musical figure.
Earlier: I've been following this amazing new play about the life of Louis "The King" Armstrong since its out-of-town tryouts and now it's just opened in NYC. Here's NYT rave recently. Got tickets for tonight. Front row. UPDATE: And it was fantastic. Rush to see it. Even has a key segment on when he spoke out against Eisenhower (cursed him, even) for his initial failure to act during the Little Rock school integration fight. Reminded me of when my wife interviewed newspaper guy involved in story for Editor & Publisher when I edited that magazine a few years back.
And below, when he started making the most important music in our history--the first cut below with his own group, the second his "St. Louis Blues" version backing Bessie Smith (virtually his first appearance on record in 1925). Both cuts go into the Hall of Fame.
1 comment:
He was fantastic. I'm mostly for western Classical, but that is really classy -- first class.
Post a Comment