7P guide to

1920s Jazz

1920’s Jazz

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong was born on the 4th

of August,

1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a trumpeter and a singer in New Orleans in

pubs. He played the trumpet and the cornet, which is a mini trumpet. He was dubbed

Satchmo , which was short for Satchel Mouth, because he had a big mouth; or Pops

when he started playing. You might recognize a few of his songs, for example, ‘What a

Wonderful World’, or ‘La Vie en Rose’. Louis retired in the 1960’s and died in 1971

in Queens, New York City.

Flappers

Flappers are ladies who danced to the Charleston type of

music. The term ‘Flapper’ is inspired by a bird flapping its wings while learning how to

fly. Flappers usually bobbed their hair, listened to jazz music, and wore short skirts.

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy, or Duke Ellington was born on April 29th

, 1899 and was a composer,

big band leader and a pianist. Ellington was also referred in the genre of Blues, Gospel,

film scores, Pop, and classical. Ellington recorded for many American Record

companies, and was in several films. Ellington died May 24th

, 1974 in New York City,

USA.

King Oliver

Joseph Nathan Oliver, or King Oliver was born on May 11th

, 1885. Like Duke

Ellington and Louis Armstrong, Joseph was a cornet player and a band leader. You

might recognize a few of his songs, for example, ‘Canal Street Blues’, or ‘Dipper mouth

Blues’. He was the mentor and teacher of Louis Armstrong, a famous trumpeter. King

Oliver died on the 10th

of April 1938, age 52.

The Charleston

The Charleston is a dance, which originated from the harbour city, Charleston, South

Carolina. The song, the Charleston was composed in 1923, by James P. Johnson, a

pianist. Developed by Kathryn Wilson, the Charleston quickly popularized in the

1920’s.

The Cotton Club

The Cotton Club was a famous illegal night club located in a Harlem neighborhood in

New York. It operated from 1923 to 1940, during the American Prohibition Era, when

alcohol was banned. The club was white-only, but many famous black performers

performed there including Duke Ellington. They would host ‘Celebrity Nights’ every

Sunday, and famous people would go there.

Louis Armstrong was born on the 4 August 1901 in New Orleans’s and died on July 6 1971 in Corona,

his nickname was Stachmo or Pops. He was a Jazz trumpeter .

Duke Ellington was born in April 29, 1899 and died in May 24, 1974; he was an American composer,

pianist, and big-band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions

Joseph Nathan Oliver, better known as Joe "King" Oliver and was born May 11, 1885 and died April

10, 1938

Renowned for his charming stage presence plus voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing,

Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz music and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he

was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general.

Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to "cross over", whose

skin-color was secondary to his music in an America that was

severely racially divided.

Ellington called his music "American Music" rather than jazz, and liked to define those who

impressed him as "beyond category These included many of the musicians who were members of his

orchestra, some of whom are considered among the best in jazz in their own right, but it was

Ellington who melded them into one of the best-known jazz orchestral units in the history of jazz. He

often composed explicitly for the style and skills of these individuals, such as "Jeep's Blues" for

Johnny Hodges, "Concerto for Cootie" for Cootie Williams.

Joseph Oliver was born in Aben, Louisiana, near Donaldsonville in Ascension Parish, and moved to

New Orleans in his youth. Oliver played cornet in the New Orleans brass bands and dance bands and

also in the city's red-light district, Storyville. The band he co-led with trombonist Kid Ory was

considered New Orleans' hottest and best in the 1910s.

Developed by Kathryn Wilson, the Charleston became a popular dance craze in the wider

international community during the 1920s. Despite its origins, the Charleston is most frequently

associated with white flappers and the speakeasy. Here, these young women would dance alone or

together as a way of mocking the "dry’s," or citizens who supported the Ban amendment, as the

Charleston was then considered quite immoral and provoking.

1920’s Jazz

Louis Armstrong played the trumpet and cornet. He made a

huge influence in Jazz music as everybody loved the way he

changed the music from a band to solo during a single song.

He was born on the 4th

August 1901. He was a singer as well as

musician.

Flappers are female dancers that danced to Charleston type music. They were named after birds on their first

flight. Flappers dressed in short skirts

and usually had their hair bobbed.

Duke Ellington was born on the 29th

April 1899

and died on the 10th

April 1974. He was

married to Edna Thompson who he met in high

school and continued to see. Ellington earned

12 Grammy awards in 41 years.

Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo Pops, was an American jazz

trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an "inventive" trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a

foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo

performance. With his instantly-recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer,

demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for

expressive purposes. He was also skilled at scat singing (vocalizing using sounds and syllables instead

of actual lyrics).

Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist,

and big-band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions. In the opinion of Bob Blumenthal of

The Boston Globe, the century since his birth, there has been no greater composer, American or

otherwise, than Edward Kennedy Ellington. A major figure in the history of jazz, Ellington's music

stretched into various other genres, including blues, gospel, film scores, popular, and classical. His

career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing an inexhaustible

songbook, scoring for movies, composing stage musicals, and world tours.

Joseph Nathan Oliver, better known as Joe "King" Oliver (May 11, 1885 – April 10, 1938), was a jazz

cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly noted for his playing style, pioneering the use of

mutes. Also a notable composer, he wrote many tunes still played regularly, including "Dipper Mouth

Blues", "Sweet Like This", "Canal Street Blues", and "Doctor Jazz". He was the mentor and teacher of

Louis Armstrong. His influence was such that Armstrong claimed, "if it had not been for Joe Oliver,

jazz would not be what it is today"

The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was

popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston"

by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and

became one of the most popular hits of the decade. Runnin Wild ran from 29 October 1923 through

28 June 1924.The peak year for the Charleston as a dance by the public was mid-1926 to 1927.

Flappers were young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened

to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Flappers were

seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking, treating sex in a casual manner, smoking,

driving automobiles and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms.

The Cotton Club was a famous jazz music night club located in the Harlem neighborhood of New York

City which operated from 1923 to 1940, most notably during America's Prohibition Era lasting from

1919 to 1933. The club was a white-only establishment even though it featured many of the greatest

Black entertainers of the era including Lena Horne, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington etc.

Flappers

Flappers were a so called “need bread” in the 1920s that wore

short skirts, who bobbed their hair and who listened to jazz

music. They danced to the Charleston. The reason why they

are called flappers is because; when they danced they

“flapped” there legs whilst they were dancing. The slang word

flapper is sometimes supposed to refer to a young bird

flapping wings, whilst it is learning how do fly.

Louis Armstrong

He was born on the 4th of August

in 1901. He was nicknamed

Satchmo, sort for Satchel mouth.

He was an American jazz trumpeter and singer form New Orleans,

Louisiana. Louis was a foundational influence in jazz. He did a lot of

improvisation in solo performances. On March 19th in 1918, he married

Daisy Parker from Gretna, Louisiana.

Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington’s real name is Edward Kennedy Ellington. He

was born on the 29th April, in 1899. He was an American

composer, pianist and the “big-band leader”. He wrote over

1,000 compositions.

King Oliver

King Oliver’s real name was Joseph Nathan Oliver, better known as Joe “king” Oliver, was born on the

11th of May in 1885. He died on the 10th of April 1938. He was a jazz cornet player and composer who

had a famous band that included Louis Armstrong.

THE 1920s

Flappers

Flappers were women in the 1920s; they wore

short skirts, and cut their hair into bobs. They

listed to jazz, and danced the Charleston. They

are called Flappers because when they dance,

their legs ‘flap’ around. The slang word ‘Flapper’

refers to a young bird flapping its wings, trying to

fly.

Louis Armstrong

Louis was from New Orleans.

He was born on August 4,

1901, and died on July 6, 1971.

On March 19, 1918, Louis

married Daisy Parker. He was

famous for his voice; he could

play trumpet, saxophone,

tamborine, and cornet.

King Oliver

Joe ‘King’ Oliver’s real name is Joseph Nathan Oliver. He was born on May 11, 1885 and died

on April 10, 1938. He was a cornet player and band leader.

THE CHARLESTON

It was developed by Kathryn Wilson. The Charleston became a popular

dance craze in the wider international community in the 1920s. Despite its

origins, the Charleston is associated with Flappers and the speakeasy.

Despite its origins, the Charleston is associated with Flappers and the

speakeasy.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

People called him Satchmo because had a big mouth. He was born in August

the 4th 1901 and died in July the 6th 1971 28 days before his 70th birthday.

KING OLIVER

His real name was Joseph Oliver. He was born in Aben, Louisiana near

Donaldsonville. He was a mentor and he also taught Louis Armstrong to be as

good as he was in the 1920s.

DUKE ELLINGTON

His real name was Edward Kennedy. He wrote over 1,000 compositions and

he was the band leader. He was born in the 1890s and died in the 1970s.

FLAPPERS