Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong Review

By: Vince Lewis

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The majority of musicians in my age bracket and younger are familiar with Louis Armstrong. His popular hits “Hello Dolly” and “What a Wonderful World” topped the radio charts and made him a household name and multiple television appearances kept him in the spotlight throughout the 1960’s. The music and the presentation was light hearted and commercial, but characterizing Armstrong as a Jazz musician during this period of time would honestly be very difficult.

Author Terry Teachout is a former professional Jazz musician turned drama critic. His strong knowledge of the genre is evident throughout Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong
. His analysis of Armstrong’s music is spot on and honest. Each stage of his lengthy career is thoroughly documented and presented just as it should be.

Teachout takes the reader through the personal and musical development of a fascinating individual. There is the journey from playing the cornet in the Colored Waif’s Home Brass Band of New Orleans to Grammy Awards, the road experiences of Armstrong and his sidemen are accurately and honestly depicted and the early body of work that most of later generations ignores or dismisses is analyzed.

There are no holds barred in terms of discussion of racial intolerance early on in Armstrong’s career. The subject is examined, but not overly dramatized. The situation was what it was. Musical and personal criticism from younger players such as Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis is present. The feelings and responses to these from Armstrong are fascinating and illuminating and his social situation and stance on the issues of his day are clearly explained.

Early Jazz was unique, and deserves to be respected for what it is. Modern mainstream players find the current style to be much more complex and exciting. While this is certainly true, the pioneers of Jazz made it possible for us to be where we are. Armstrong and his contemporaries were breaking new ground and laying the foundation for further development and maturation of the genre.

Louis Armstrong deserves to be researched and understood by the younger Jazz player, and Teachout has given those of us who came after him the opportunity to do just that. This book is highly recommended for any musician who wants to better understand both his roots and a fascinating musical history that it is easy to overlook.