Synopsis
This unparalleled collection of Louis Armstrong''s candid writings reveals a side of the artist not many people knew. Here are Armstrong''s own thoughts on his life and career: from poverty in New Orleans to playing in the famous cafes, cabarets, and saloons of Storyville; from his big break in 1922 with the King Oliver band to his storming of New York; from his breaking of color barriers in Hollywood to the infamous King of the Zulus incident in 1949; and finally, to his last days in Queens, New York.
Providing a balanced portrait of his life as a musician, entertainer, civil rights activist, and cultural icon, these writings reveal Armstrong''s candid, often controversial, opinions about racism, marijuana, bebop, and other jazz artists such as Jerry Roll Morton and Coleman Hawkins.
