Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans on this date in 1901.
Armstrong would be near the top of NewMexiKen’s list of most significant Americans ever. His impact is immeasurable. Or, as claimed by Playboy, “What was the greatest band of the 20th century? Forget the Beatles — it was Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and its subsequent incarnation, the Hot Seven … these bands altered the course of popular music.”
The Red Hot Jazz Archives has numerous Armstrong recordings you can hear. Start with West End Blues or—better—St. Louis Blues with Bessie Smith [both Real Audio].