The JAZZ Story

played in a variety of situations, including theater pit bands. He continued

to grow and develop, and in 1927 switched from cornet to the more

brilliant trumpet. He had occasionally featured his unique gravel voiced

singing, but only as a novelty. Its popular potential became apparent in1929, when, back in New York, he starred in a musical show in which he

introduced the famous Ain't Misbehavin' singing as well as playing the

great tune written by pianist Thomas (Fats) Waller (1904-1943), himself

one of the greatest instrumentalists-singers-showmen in Jazz.

It was during his last year in Chicago while working with another pianist,

Earl (Fatha) Hines (1903-1983), that Louis reached his first artistic peak.

Hines was the first real peer to work with Louis. Inspired by him, he was

in turn able to inspire. Some of the true masterpieces of Jazz, among them

West End Blues and the duet Weatherbird, resulted from the

Armstrong-Hines union.

THE JAZZ AGE

Louis Armstrong dominated the musical landscape of the 20's and, in fact,

shaped the Jazz language of the decade to come as well. But the Jazz of

the Jazz Age was more often than not just peppy dance music made by

young men playing their banjos and saxophones who had little

understanding of (or interest in) what the blues and/or Louis Armstrong

were about. Still, a surprising amount of music produced by this

dance-happy period contained genuine Jazz elements.

PAUL WHITEMAN - King of Jazz?

The most popular bandleader of the decade was Paul Whiteman

(1890-1967), who ironically became known as the King of Jazz, although

his first successful bands played no Jazz at all and his later ones precious