Describe Armstrong’s early life and the challenges he faced during his formative years. Include his musical training and explain what motivated him to move forward with a professional career as a jazz musician.

The precise origins and early history of jazz cannot be chronicled because early jazz was neither notated nor recorded. It was improvised and existed only in performance. The music was rooted in the American South, particularly in New Orleans, and it was created by African Americans and influenced by some characteristics of both African and European music. Let’s focus on the emergence of early jazz in New Orleans and look more carefully at the legacy of Louis Armstrong, as examples of New Orleans jazz style. Be sure to include the following significant points in your essay in order to receive full credit:

(1) Describe Armstrong’s early life and the challenges he faced during his formative years. Include his musical training and explain what motivated him to move forward with a professional career as a jazz musician.

(2) Singing was a very important way of communicating African culture. In addition to the importance of lyrics, describe two characteristics of African music relating to form and rhythm that were not found in European music at that time.

(3) Describe two characteristics of European music that played an important role in early jazz in New Orleans.

(4) By 1900 the blues had developed into a highly structured style, with distinct forms for both the lyrics and the melodies. How does the form of Armstrong’s West End Blues reflect the standard blues lyrical pattern?

(5) How does the form and harmonic structure of Armstron’s West End Blues accommodate the three sections of the text?

(6) Armstrong uses “blue notes” in his jazz compositions. Describe the “blue notes” and explain how the use of these notes in West End Blues creates a relaxed, laid back mood.

(7) If jazz musicians are all playing in a group, as in Armstrong’s West End Blues, how do they all improvise and yet stay together? Does every performance of a jazz work sound exactly the same as the previous one? Why or why not?