Description
Book SynopsisLouis Armstrong was more than a great entertainer-he was one of the most important musicians of our times, not only a key figure in the history of jazz but also a formative influence on all of twentieth-century popular music. James Lincoln Collier, author of The Making of Jazz chronicles the saga of Armstrong's rise as a musician, providing a unique, insightful portrait of the man and his times.
Trade Review"Destined to become one of the enduring jazz reference works."--The Philadelphia Inquirer
"The definitive account of Armstrong's life. Collier is a tough, unblinkered critic."--The Washington Post
"By far the most thoughtful and articulate study to date of a much misunderstood titan of jazz."--The Nation
"A masterful critical biography--sophisticated in its contexts, shrewd yet sympathetic, rich in its supporting cast...and splendidly conscientious in the delicate balance between character and culture."--Kirkus Reviews
"The most comprehensive account yet of the man who all but invented swing."--Newsweek
"One of the most important jazz studies in recent years."--Callaloo
"An excellent introduction to the real 'Satchmo.'"--History Book Review
"It could be a long time before we are given a more detailed, comprehensive, perceptive, and human portrait of the great Satchmo."--Jervis Anderson, The New Republic
"Only with the publication of James Lincoln Collier's biography is a truly comprehensive critical study of Armstrong available. And a splendid one it is....Distinguished by sound logic, a generous breadth of understanding of music and people, and a writing style that is a model of clarity, economy, and grace....Collier's book joins that select group of biographies of Americans in the arts whose representatives are in themselves admirable works of art."--American Music
"Splendid....Distinguished by sound logic, a generous breadth of understanding of music and people, and a writing style that is a model of clarity, economy, and grace....Collier's book joins the select group of biographies of Americans in the arts whose representatives are in themselves admirable works of art."--American Music
"A superb book....It is thoughtful, intelligent, informative, provocative, and comprehensive."--Stephen L. Stone, University of Oregon
"This comprehensive, well-researched, highly readable biography deftly separates fact from myth in telling the rags-to-riches saga of Armstrong's life."--The Christian Science Monitor
"A detailed, provocative, intellectually stimulating, and skillfully written account--in fact, one of the most engrossing biographies of a jazz musician ever written."--Down Beat
"Impeccable scholarship, razor-sharp musical analysis, and lively, vibrant prose are the hallmarks of this groundbreaking biography of an American jazz legend."--Booklist
