Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of Louis Armstrong is a biography
in the form of an art book. It tells the story of Armstrong's life
through his writings, scrapbooks, and artworks, many of which have never
been published before. Armstrong was the single greatest creative artist
in the history of jazz and the American popular song. A true American
original, he was prolific in coining colorful expressions that entered
the lexicon; he wrote long, colorful prose pieces about his experiences;
and he made hundreds of collages using marvelous photographs that
capture archetypal scenes in the life of a jazz musician. Everything he
did was an extension of his artistry.
Satchmo is a vivid trip through American jazz at mid-century, to the
beat of Armstrong's own jazzy words. The book also includes photographs
of Armstrong and is framed by a text that describes his significance. It
will be enjoyed not only by jazz fans but also by art lovers, who will
welcome Armstrong into the pantheon of American visual artists. The
Revolution initiated by Gore Vidal with his Empire series is continued
and modernized by Steven Brower in Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art
of Louis Armstrong. It is a Revolution that challenges the way in which
history is told, read, and accepted...Most importantly, however,
Satchmo reminds us that the book as an object is indispensable in a
time when the fate of the printed book is very much debated.--Rami
Shamir, Evergreen Review
Interspersed with vivid bursts of Armstrong's own writings, what emerges
is a portrait of such intimacy, it comes closest in the vast Armstrong
bibliography to capturing the humble humanity and generosity of spirit
of one of the great figures of the 20th century.--Stuart Nicholson, The
Guardian
Satchmo...had a way with yet another instrument: a pair of scissors.
Between sets, he snipped words and images from ads and greeting cards,
letters, telegraphs, and photos of friends and fans, then pasted them
into jazzy, colorful collages*. Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of
Louis Armstrong* collects these elegant riffs by the most artful of
improvisers*--O, The Oprah magazine* A beautifully illustrated new book.
It combines an eloquently-written narrative about the trumpeter's life
and achievements with page after page of richly-detailed colour
photographs depicting Armstrong's tape box collages. (4 Stars)
--Charles Waring, The Record Collector
[Satchmo] perfectly complements and enhances the visual art of Louis
Armstrong...a fascinating and handsome perspective on a particular
aspect of the various talents with which Armstrong was blessed, one that
had previously remained unexposed to the general public. ... a heartfelt
tribute to the creative genius of Louis Armstrong.--Joe Lang, New
Jersey Jazz Society
A beautiful book puts together hundreds of notebooks of collages never
seen before by LA.--Paola Genone, L'Express
