Louis Armstrong

Pat and I took a break from our worldly duties to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary, January 26, with a trip to the Big Apple, New York City. Having spent most of her childhood in New Jersey, and having fond memories there which included escapades into New York City, my lovely wife gifted me with a surprise adventure and so we lifted off with JetBlue and spent a few days adventuring in the Big Apple. First day was in Greenwich Village, second day in the Brooklyn Bridge area, third day at the Battery Park area, including the 911 museum/memorial. Then we did some touring in Chinatown and Little Italy. Our last night in the City was spent at Studio 54 Theatre, enjoying a Broadway Production, A Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong.

What a great musical show that is! The music and the drama is superb, with incredible choreography and energetic acting. . . lots of dancing, music, singing. Music Director is Darrel Ivey; James Monroe Iglehart playing Satchmo, with Christopher Renshaw directing, orchestration and arrangements by Branford Marsalis. Brandon Louis Armstrong, whose great-great uncle was the Master himself, Louis Armstrong, is listed as a band member, and listed also as an understudy for the lead role, playing his great uncle, the master himself Satchmo Louie Armstrong. I was appreciating all this music so much because I grew up in Louisiana, about 70 miles upriver from New Orleans where the master trumpeteer, Louis Armstrong, had started his career, which, during his lifetime became a worldwide phenom, with historic episodes in Chicago, New York, Hollywood, and God only knows how many other venues in this world hosted the incredible musicality and showmanship of the trumpet virtuoso.  At various occasions during my youth, we would go from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, the "French Quarter", and hear some jazz. Louie Amstrong was the KING of JAzz. So I think it is a great tribute to the master that his people have put this fabulous musical together. I never heard Satchmo; I was too young, and 70 miles away, but I do cherish a few memories of those New Orleans jazz parlours where Louie must have wowed folks with his mastery and showmanship.  Now. . . as a sheltered couple from the Blue Ridge, Pat and I found it to be an exciting entertainment one block off Broadway in Studio 54, which i am told is a classic Broadway theater. I mean the place was so palatial I wanted to take a picture of it but the announcer said no picture-taking. The show was first class, absolute class; now I understand a little bit about what I have been hearing about since my youth . . .catching snippets of Broadway and jazz and the mastery of Broadway productions, mostly through the lens of Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson. Now, having just heard the phenom with my ears, I celebrate the life and legendary legacy of a true musical virtuoso who was one incredible player in the generation that preceded mine. Louis Armstrong. Thanks, all ye directors, musicians, singers, actors for opening the world of Satchmo so that we could experience a world-class trumpeteer! King of Soul