Armstrong, (Daniel) Louis

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Armstrong, (Daniel) Louis (1900–71) US jazz trumpeter, singer and bandleader, nicknamed ‘Satchmo’. Armstrong was one of the most distinctive sounds in 20th-century music. He learned to play in New Orleans, and in 1922 joined the King Oliver band. The Hot Fives and Hot Sevens recordings (1925–29) are some of the most influential in the history of jazz. In the 1930s he became a successful bandleader, his deep, bluesy voice featured on tunes like “Mack the Knife”. He also appeared in films such as Pennies from Heaven (1936), New Orleans (1947), and High Society (1956).

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Armstrong, (Daniel) Louis

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