介绍：

资格最老的爵士音乐大师。Louis Armstrong永远是爵士乐的代名词。

早在1920年，19岁的Louis Armstrong就已经开始他的演奏生涯了。如何评价他在爵士音乐中的重要性都不为过，相当于古典音乐的巴赫、摇滚音乐的猫王，是音乐史中最有影响的音乐家之一。

“What A Wonderful World（多么美好的世界）”是他最为著名的作品，被无数后来的音乐家翻唱过。Louis Armstrong的小号，可能是全世界最快乐的小号；Louis Armstrong的歌声，可能是世界上豁达的歌声，而他沙哑的演唱如同他的小喇叭吹奏一般令人怀念。在摇滚乐盛行的年代，他也有过一首榜首歌曲。Louis Armstrong的歌声，可以说是每个人一开始就会情不自禁喜欢上的。唱歌时，他的一口白牙不时透露愉快欣喜的信息；而当他吹起宏亮的小喇叭时，却又呈现另一股魅力。那种狂放愉悦的从容即兴、那种粗糙沙砾般的卖弄，用一种魔力牵引着你，他的歌声中总是充满着热情、乐观，那种从心底里喜欢演奏和歌唱无法不让人产生共鸣，感染你身上每一个细胞。就像那首“On The Sunny Side Of The Street”（在布满阳光的街道边）还有“Blueberry Hill”（越橘山）的歌名，都充满自然阳光的气息。 早期的爵士乐录音大多是现场的演奏版本，现场的演出是完全不虚假的一种即兴创作，完全没有机会更改。

从1901年出生于新奥尔良到1971年心脏衰竭逝世为止的七十年岁月里，这位爵士巨人也是摇滚先驱者为后人留下了无数伟大的作品。Louis Armstrong出身于贫民区，很小他父亲就拋弃家庭，不知所终，但困窘的生活并不影响少年阿姆斯特朗对音乐的追求，他在社会最底层长大，还曾经进过少年感化院，所幸他在感化院学会了吹短号，开始接触音乐，没几年的时间，18岁的阿姆斯特朗，已经是新奥尔良地区知名的演奏者了，成为当时最红的Kid Roy乐团的短号手。1922年，加入Joe King Oliver乐团，在前辈的指导调教之下，阿姆斯特朗进步神速，逐渐建立起他作为一位伟大独奏者的地位。 当时新奥尔良乐手虽然也有即兴演奏的作法，但是大多篇幅不长，音乐上自由开阔的程度也还很不明显，是Louis Armstrong以热烈狂野，如泉涌出的即兴号音，彻底改造了爵士乐。阿姆斯特朗也是爵士乐能推广到世界各地的最大功臣，他应美国政府的邀请巡回世界演奏，所到之处无不轰动，对美国文化和爵士乐的形象提升贡献极大，二次大战刚结束那段时间，世界各地许多人就是在听到他演奏之后，接受了爵士乐。

到了20世纪30年代之后，阿姆斯特朗音乐生涯中演唱的比重渐增，“Hello Dolly”、“What a Wonderful World”等等经典名曲脍炙人口，让他成为世界知名的艺人，影响力超越了音乐范畴，笑口常开的形象，为他赢得一个“书包嘴”的外号，他的声音吵哑，并不是什么天生金嗓子，但是他赋予歌唱与演奏同等的情感，完全摆脱了传统上演唱者附属的角色定位，使歌手成为音乐艺术家，受他影响的歌手包括Frank Sinatra、Ella Fitzgerald、Pink Crosby甚至猫王，简直不计其数。

相对于Louis Armstrong的小号，很多人更喜欢他的歌声，因为Louis Armstrong的声线非常粗糙，和他的小号的圆润嘹亮完全相反。在他的声音中，有一个无限宽大的世界，不论是谁，做错了甚么，在这世界中，一切都不必再计较。这就像一个死去的灵魂，从天堂上俯瞰人间，看见他的朋友，看见他珍惜而又放下了的一切。想想在那年代吃尽苦头的黑人，再想想Louis Armstrong幼年的生活，想想他的歌声......没有受过伤的人，谈不上宽恕，没有历过风霜的人，没资格说世界是美好的。

Lil Hardin-Armstrong was the most prominent woman in early jazz. She played piano, composed, and arranged for most of the important Hot Bands from New Orleans. While working at a music store in Chicago, she was invited to play with Sugar Johnny's Creole Orchestra, from there she went to Freddie Keppard's Original Creole Orchestra, and then led her own band at the Dreamland Cafe at 3520 South State Street in Chicago. In 1921 she joined King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band where she met Louis Armstrong.

They were married in 1924. Lil was Louis Armstrong's second wife and she is generally credited with persuading Louis to be more ambitious, and leave King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Lil was a major contributor to Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. She played piano and sang occasionally, and composed several of the groups major songs, including "Struttin' with Some Barbeque." Lil was the leader of several other recording groups, including Lil's Hot Shots and the New Orleans Wanderers. She and Louis were separated in 1931 and were divorced in 1938, although they remained friends for life. Lil appeared in several Broadway shows including "Hot Chocolates" and "Shuffle Along". In the late 1930s Lil recast herself as a Swing vocalist and cut 26 vocal sides for Decca records. In the 1940s she moved back to Chicago and played as a soloist in nightclubs. She continued to record sporadically up until 1963, often with the old gang of New Orleans/Chicago musicians like Johnny Dodds, Red Allen, Zutty Singleton, Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon, Lonnie Johnson, Buster Bailey, Natty Dominque, Lovie Austin, and Sidney Bechet. Lil kept active in the music business for the rest of her life, although far from the limelight. Strangely enough, Lil died while taking part in a Louis Armstrong Memorial Concert in Chicago while playing "St. Louis Blues", just two months after Louis had died.

网站：http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong
　
 
　 　 What a Wonderful World
 
　 　 歌词 Lyrics：
I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see ’em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are also on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin’.. how do you do
They’re really sayin’......I love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more.....than I’ll never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world

(instrumental break)

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are there on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin’.. how do you do
They’re really sayin’...*spoken*(I ....love....you).

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
*spoken*(you know their gonna learn
A whole lot more than I’ll never know)
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself .......what a wonderful world.