In 1931, Armstrong and his band were arrested in Memphis because Armstrong was sitting next to a white woman on a bus—even though she was his manager’s wife. After spending a night in jail, Armstrong and his all-black band played for an all-white audience at the Peabody Hotel, opening with a song Armstrong dedicated to the Memphis Police Department: “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal You.”
Given that the audience included several members of the Memphis police (who also happened to be members of the Ku Klux Klan), it seems incredible that Armstrong got away without further trouble. Yet the cops later came around to thank Armstrong for the shout-out.
One reason the handcuffs didn’t come out again was that Armstrong sang with a distinctively slurred delivery that made the words difficult to understand.
From LOUIS ARMSTRONG: Master of Modernism By Thomas Brothers
Great piece, Bernie, with some interesting examples! Also, like you say, interesting to see the influence of jazz/skiffle etc on acts like the Stones (and I believe, Rod Stewart) and others.
The chief influence on Lonnie Donegan was the (mainly) folk singer Leadbelly:- 'Rock Island Line', 'Pick a Bail of Cotton', 'Good Night Irene', 'House of the Rising Sun' and 'Cotton Fields' were all taken from Leadbelly's repertoire (some of which he himself had taken from others).
Two of Donegan’s original bandmates in the Chris Barber band, the guitarist Alexis Korner and the harmonica-player and singer Cyril Davies were the main instigators of the British Blues Boom. According to Wikipedia, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated included at various times Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Terry Cox, Ginger Baker, Art Wood, Long John Baldry, Ronnie Jones, Danny Thompson, Graham Bond and Dick Heckstall-Smith.
At one time Jamie Cullum revived the idea of entertainment in a jazz setting and for a while his performances were quite unpredictable and genuinely intriguing.
Thanks for your comments TJ. I didn't know about the Louis Armstrong story.
I forgot all about Jamie Cullum and further back Dudley Moore who was a pretty good jazz pianist.
In 1931, Armstrong and his band were arrested in Memphis because Armstrong was sitting next to a white woman on a bus—even though she was his manager’s wife. After spending a night in jail, Armstrong and his all-black band played for an all-white audience at the Peabody Hotel, opening with a song Armstrong dedicated to the Memphis Police Department: “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal You.”
Given that the audience included several members of the Memphis police (who also happened to be members of the Ku Klux Klan), it seems incredible that Armstrong got away without further trouble. Yet the cops later came around to thank Armstrong for the shout-out.
One reason the handcuffs didn’t come out again was that Armstrong sang with a distinctively slurred delivery that made the words difficult to understand.
From LOUIS ARMSTRONG: Master of Modernism By Thomas Brothers
Great piece, Bernie, with some interesting examples! Also, like you say, interesting to see the influence of jazz/skiffle etc on acts like the Stones (and I believe, Rod Stewart) and others.
The chief influence on Lonnie Donegan was the (mainly) folk singer Leadbelly:- 'Rock Island Line', 'Pick a Bail of Cotton', 'Good Night Irene', 'House of the Rising Sun' and 'Cotton Fields' were all taken from Leadbelly's repertoire (some of which he himself had taken from others).
Two of Donegan’s original bandmates in the Chris Barber band, the guitarist Alexis Korner and the harmonica-player and singer Cyril Davies were the main instigators of the British Blues Boom. According to Wikipedia, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated included at various times Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Terry Cox, Ginger Baker, Art Wood, Long John Baldry, Ronnie Jones, Danny Thompson, Graham Bond and Dick Heckstall-Smith.
At one time Jamie Cullum revived the idea of entertainment in a jazz setting and for a while his performances were quite unpredictable and genuinely intriguing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv-OxaHcJ1Y
I think even nowadays he shows some flashes of it.