/ soloblues30 No doubt at all: this one gonna be my favorite youtube video of them all zillions in RU-vid. Louis just burns "I Cover The Waterfront", "Dinah" and "Tiger Rag" out. ♥
This is one of my favorite bits of film of ANYTHING. The amazing thing is that no one in America had thought to film Armstrong before this 1933 recording. He had to go to Europe for someone to record him for posterity.
Incredible rare thing to find live footage from a concert from this early in time. Including sound and in this quality. Incredible. This is the oldest example I can think of.
@@F0nkyNinja But even more so, this performance probably would not have been possible in the US.. I could be wrong but his band looks integrated .. that would have been unacceptable in 1933 US and for many years to follow.
Just played this for the "upteenth time" for my US History students in my 25 years of teaching school, and this performance is as fresh and staggering exciting for me today as when I first heard it! I always point out Louis' self-introduction as "I'm MISTER Armstrong" (in a time when most Blacks were denied that simple courtesy word), his "trumpet-style singing," and his "song-style trumpet" (titles taken from the 1920s).
+John L. Monk At that point in his career and recognition, it was a universal opinion amongst his fans and admirers that all of them were his subordinate...but he was a brave man to proclaim it nevertheless, given the times. He IS and ALWAYS will be Mr. Armstrong, "POPS" Love to Louis.
Absolutely the greatest performance I have ever witnessed! If I had only one performance to see live this would be the one. The technical execution on Dina at 5:54 as well as his singing throughout the entire song. The note he holds on Tiger Rag at 8:34-8:42 is absolutely a thing of astonishment. Don't know how he held it for so long with such force! How could anyone give this performance a thumbs down???
They should name all hurricanes "Louis" because no one blew the roof off more places than that man. Pure joy in performance; pure genius in construction. And let's thankful sound film recording had been developed by this time to catch him at the height of his powers.
@@MrJonsonville5 and you know it, Dinah has elements of scat and rap, truly a musical genius,oh by the way, he ain't too shabby on that horn either, R.I.P. Mr. Armstrong.
Yes this is absolutely one of the most thrilling musical performances ever caught on film . . . and just think: this was just another night for Louie and band. 1934 this is his RCA years when he became a star and started recording more Pop tunes and novelty and etc. Imagine having film of him with one of the Hot Fives or Sevens incarnations in the 1920s?!
My father was an Danish musician himself and he got inspired by Louis Armstorngs performence at this concert which he enjoyed with my grandma in Copenhagen back in 19333 12 yo - Louis Armstrong brought people together no mattter their color and his happiness was legendary no matter where he performed in a minor club or at huge scenes - What a true performer of gods grace! He'll never be forgotten and his means for the music are not to be discussed! RIP IN YOUR JAZZY HEAVEN POPS, GOOD OLD SATCHMO
We were so blessed to have Louis Armstrong and the genius of his music. He changed the face of music. No one can sing Dinah the way he did. He became an extenstion of his trumpet in that song. The Europeans really saw and appreciated his talent. Too bad that was not the case in the Southern USA -even when this man dined, ate with and entertained Kings and Queens he was denied access to certain hotels in the Southern USA.
One should never underestimate the racism in Europe in the 1930’s. Jazz music was seen as “filth” by Danish experts, and the reason for this concert being filmed was for it to be a part of a comedy film. If you watched the film, you would see famous Danish actor, Ib Schønberg, appear on the stage after the concert, in blackface, singing a mocking song while imitating Armstrong. The song roughly translates to: »I am black n****r boy, black in face and black in clothes, shoes and tie and vest and coat, everything black.« The majority of people in the audience here came to see what they saw as “inferior” music. To see “the black man”. Denmark was an extremely white majority country in the 1930’s, and people happily paid money just for the chance to see a black person. This was, to them, a form of circus.
@@camilladyrefrank regardless of all that he was not denied entry into hotels and never had to come through the kitchen in order to get to the stage as he had to do in the Southern states in the USA.
This clip is from an old danish movie called " København, Kalundborg - og" from 1934. Louis was playing about 7 concerts in Denmark that year, In Tivoli and a Theatre called " The Palace Theatre". When Louis arrived at Copenhagen Centralstation, He Was nearly getting choked of thousands of danes, who came to pay homage to their big hero.
A scant 6 years after he recorded his Hot Five's. Jazz as an art form was still being formed, yet here he is, TRANSCENDENT. If you don't love Louis, you don't love music.
Mr. Armstrong is undoubtedly one of the finest trumpeteers of all time. But let's not forget about his horn section...those guys are really tight. They go from solo pieces back into harmony so effortlessly.
@@yvesfrancoisritmo hot 5 and hot 7 era Pops is THE cornerstone of all jazz (maybe all modern American music). So much swing, so much attitude, so many balls. The Goat indeed.
In my African American Music class, we talked about Louis Armstrong and my teacher played the song, Dinah. I really enjoyed listening to that song! Louis Armstrong was a musical genius!
@ Giancarlo Colasanti.......I can confirm Pete Du Conge and Henry Tyree in this footage........Henry Tyree was my Grandfather......regards....Paul Tyree.
Amazing. Like all the great virtuosos throughout history, Armstrong mad making the incredible sounds he made look like the easiest, most natural thing in the world. And he also made it look like it was pure joy to do it. His audiences were truly privileged to see it live.
CREDITS from Openculture org. Armstrong on trumpet and vocals, Charles D. Johnson on trumpet, Peter DuCongé on clarinet and alto saxophone, Henry Tyree on alto saxophone, Fletcher Allen on tenor saxophone, Lionel Guimarez on trombone, Justo Baretto on piano, German Arango on bass and Oliver Tines on drums.
One of the coolest little details about his style is heard at the bar at 4:49 where he comes in with "Dinah" exactly on time on the downbeat, and then the next bar he SHOULD come in with "Dinah" again on the next downbeat, but he doesn't, he's a little early. They say jazz is learning the rules and breaking them, looks like that applies to rhythm as well! It helps that Louis has a very hot and steady band!
I Cover The Waterfront and Dinah preformed here are sublime. So well done, perfect phrasing, pause, sound - perfect swing. The world almost feels normal again listening to this. Two of my favorites as done by Armstrnog here.
As a kid born in the 1970s and a music fan you're told over and over that The Beatles and the great music of the 1950s-1970s is the greatest popular music ever. Rock N Roll. I started hearing 1920s-1970s Jazz in the 1990s when I was a teen: Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Jellyroll Morton etc etc. The Jazz of the 1910s-1940s is just as great as rock N roll. The Jazz of the 1950s-1970s is just as great as Rock N roll. While we're on the subject: the greatest Country music and the Greatest Blues music are all just as good or better than Rock. Also, the greatest Hip-Hop is as great as anything. Listen to it ALL.
Words are inadequate... but I'll try. In equal measure: Louis the Virtuoso, Louis the Entertainer, Louis the Jazz Singer. His stage persona anticipates every great musician/entertainer that followed him, including Dizzy, Brother Ray, B.B., James Brown... "aggressive humility," as it has been described. Notice how tight and well-rehearsed the band is; notice how focused his concentration, when he's soloing. (Incidentally, the footage of the middle selection, "Dinah," is my favorite music video of all time.) Louis: The Root of EVERYTHING.
I so agree about Dinah! It's so fresh every time and it's so great to see Louis in his prime. He's on fire, with his life force and creativity just pouring from him, but also so poised and polished. I can't say enough about this. Such a beautiful, energizing genius!
Yes, there are so many melodic gestures and possibilities it’s wonderful. He doesn’t just run scales when he blows. It’s all melody all the time, and rhythm.
This man invented modern vocals. He was years ahead of his time and the ultimate showman. How much would you pay to travel back in time and see the impact this guy had on an audience.
yoshigotgun I think it's a safe assumption to be made considering era that this clip is set in. The fact that you labeled me as a leftist is a testimony of your simpleminded existence.
Are you aware of the time era this is set in? I am NOT judging based off of skin colour (a perception that reflects the faced-value mindset of the both of you). 1930's fresh out of the 1800's after 500 years of slavery. Yeah, no racists in Europe, especially not the first class Europeans in this clip. Ludicrous. @@BigTexan7
Making assumptions based on appearance, ethnicity, etc is bigotry. It's impossible to truly know a person's character based on aspersions cast because "500 years of slavery." If you truly were a hippie, you'd be more open minded but it appears your identity politics has blinded you. Maybe a more apt username for you would be "Rageful Antifa."
@@BigTexan7 bear in mind that at the time, white people at least in America and Britain were essentially taught to be racist by the culture and, in many cases, by their parents. This being pre-1950s, there were still Jim Crow laws in effect in America. I don't know how it was in Copenhagen, but in the vast majority of cases from this period I would personally say it is perfectly okay to assume that there were a lot of racist white people about, due to the fact that the culture of the time was overwhelmingly racist. Perhaps not all white people were, but certainly a considerable number were.
Can you believe that people existed like this? Enourmous talent and probably just the most decent man imaginable, and yet he couldn't stay in most hotels in America, or eat in restaurants. Just pitiful, but at least we've come a long way since then.
Funny thing that he was MORE loved abroad then here in the U.s..... Benny Goodman the KING of swing????? Not to me.....LOUIS invented, prefected and IS the king of swing-SIMPLE AS THAT!!!!!
James Walton I have to step in here. My Dad played in Benny's last band and Benny had the greatest respect for the Black originators and innovators of jazz, and was a very early proponent of integrated ensembles during a height of Jim Crow laws. He was one of the first truly hot pure jazz clarinet players who wasn't black, influenced by Jimmie Noone, among others, and for him, swing was paramount. Benny was literally listening to the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band at the Sunset Cafe in Chicago when he was in short pants (he had to sneak in as he was too young to be allowed in with the adults), and loved and admired the early greats. When he first 'made it' in New York as an uncredited studio musician on numerous hot dance and jazz sides in the late 20s / early 30s, one can already tell a genius is coming up... his hot clarinet lifts the entire ensemble and points to the future when he takes a solo. A friend of Dad's played a 1920s Ben Pollack (I think) record once, for a group of fellow musicians, probably in the 70s or 80s, and pointed out to everyone present: "listen to that! Listen to Benny kick everyone else in the ass!!" (meaning out-swing the rest of the band, and Ben Pollack had a really damn good band for the time). When Mr. Goodman first started his big band in 1934, he made sure to only hire musicians who could swing and improvise well, and were superb ensemble players. If they didn't meet those requirements, they didn't make the cut or were out of the band. There were different musical requirements the various bandleaders had for the various famous groups of the Great Band Era, but if you played with Benny, you HAD to swing!!! Period!!!
Having written that, I have no doubt Benny Goodman would himself have probably (publicist's terms aside) deferred AND referred to Louis Armstrong as the REAL 'King of Swing'. No musician of any color, in the 20s/30s or today, who was HIP to what jazz is all about, would argue with that!!! Just about every jazz historian I've met, or read, credits Louis Armstrong (and a few others, for example Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Bix Beiderbecke, Joe Venuti, and Eddie Lang, but mainly Mr. Armstrong) with INVENTING the Swing Era. Just as with Bix Beiderbecke making his own 'future music' that was sometimes 50 years ahead of its time, Louis Armstrong almost singlehandedly invented the foundational musical melodic vocabulary AND rhythmic conception that would later become swing AND bebop. He took both the hot jazz and rural AND city blues of his day, as well as other African-American vernacular music and church music, and wedded and fused those collective melodic, harmonic and rhythmic influcences with those of European and European-American heavy and light classical music as well as parlor, salon and popular music, and especially, Grand Opera. I learned just a few years ago that he was a great fan of Opera in general and (Enrico) Caruso specifically, and Mr. Armstrong's closet had, among other discs, dozens of wornout (played to death) Caruso and Guy Lombardo (sweet dance band) records. (As an aside, Tommy Dorsey's record closet was reportedly filled with dozens of wornout Fritz Kreisler violin records). There really must be some kinship between the rhythmic freedom and passionate emotional declamation of African and African-American vernacular and pop music and the same qualities (in different form) in Grand Opera, and he found it and applied it to both his vocals and trumpet, raising his music from good jazz to fantastic jazz and Art music in one, in a stroke of sheer genius and inimitable, unteachable musical taste. Had Mr. Armstrong not been around, the later music I named (swing, bebop) would have either not happened at all, or ended up sounding completely different. Practically every jazz musician on every instrument was influenced by Louis Armstrong and I am not overstating this. When I hear him play, in his prime, the hairs on the back of my neck go up.
As I write this, this footage is 80 years old. Yet it still swings. Armstrong was undoubtedly the first great jazz giant and perhaps has not been eclipsed. Thanks for the posting. Incredible.
Louis using his trumpet and head at the beginning of Dinah to conduct makes me so incredibly happy! He truly was one brilliantly cool cat. Love you Pop's
I first heard this on Ken Burns' documentary and was blown away. I knew about Armstrong growing up, since he was still alive and a firmly established icon. But the minute I heard this song I knew what he was all about. So, so many artists and actors that came before me were on their downward slope, only to be discovered long after their demise why they were so great.
You nailed it Henry!!! I listened to this several times and I watch the Guys feet, and the tightnest of their Groove!!! Can't be touched, Louie and Crew were Funky....He may have Invented Funky Tight Jazz!!!
Mister Armstrong:The greatest of the great! Used his mastery of his Selmer (trumpet) and voice as an outlet for his genius! Did anyone take note of Armsrrong’s departure from the band at the end of Tiger Rag( 9:04, I believe) and frees himself from earthly musical rules and playes to the beat of his own inner drummer (while the band plays on)?
Between the spring of 1933 and the fall of 1935, there are only three recording dates of Armstrong and this is one of them. There is a short but hi-quality air-check of a radio broadcast and a session that Armstrong did in Paris which included his most famous version of "On The Sunny Side Of The Street;" the vocal is on one side, his trumpet solo on the other.
Is this Early Jazz, Big Band Swing, or Bebop? What are the instruments in the band? What instruments play the melody of the song? What instruments take improvised solos? In what order do the solos happen? How do the musicians communicate with each other when playing? What is the situation in which the performance is happening?
This is so awesome and so New Orleans. If the musicians were from anywhere else they would have charts in front of them but these cats memorise the whole show and just play from the heart!
The crew were officially The Hot Harlem Band. Clearly integrated, mostly lost to time musicians (except for Teddy Wilson - briefly - on piano). Armstrong was both flexing and struggling. Chicago & NYC were becoming new outposts for Jazz; so gigs, travel, personnel changes as available. His contemporaries/rivals of the '20s had faded or retired at this point. Jazz - as we know it today - was close to being on life-support (yeah, KC, I hear ya). But still he persisted, scoring a Euro tour despite a UK promoter's blacklist that gives us this: the extant earliest film of Mr. Armstrong performing (btw, he was recovering/still struggling w embouchure issues, lip scabbing/swelling when he performed this.) Watch his eyes as he is determined to hit his highs on 'Tiger Rag'. Not his renowned resonant Hi C back quite yet.
@@realentertainment1227 I believe Mssrs. Ellington, Mingus, Marsalis, Lewis/Jones, Braxton & Ms. Bley, ad infinitum, would strongly disagree and possibly smack you on the back of your head to drive the point home.
1933, October 21st - Copenhagen. possible sidemen: Charles Johnson (Trumpet) - Peter Du Conge (Clarinet, altosax) - Henry Tyree (altosax) - Fletcher Allen (Tenor sax) - Justo Baretto (piano) - German Arago (bass) - Oliver Tynes (Drums)
This film was actually recorded in Copenhagen in 1933, during the Scandinavian(Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen) tour. In 1934 Armstrong was in Paris, France!
Um, hello, this was not filmed live! The filmmaker spliced in shots of a clapping audience. But the piece was filmed without an audience. That's how there's a camera is in Louis's face.
Just never gets old, will always be fresh and beautiful. Everyone playing jazz knows they owe a huge debt to Pops. On a side note...this video (or the original film) has been slightly sped up, because he was playing in Concert A-flat (G-sharp) whereas the sound track is definitely in A. Any trumpet player can see Pop's fingering is in A-flat (his native B-flat on the trumpet) and he played all three tunes in this video in A-flat and they're coming out in A. Anyway, minor annoyance. The jazz, the music, is eternal.
I'm guessing here, but it would have been filmed at 24 frames/sec (the standard for movie films). When converting film to European video standards it's quite common to run the telecine conversion at 25 fps as this makes it technically easier. In so doing the speed of the accompanying soundtrack is raised by a factor of 25/24, this might explain the slight rise in pitch?
I've seen this many times but every time it gets better! Just caught Pops' quote 8:04-8:10 "Gypsy Sweetheart" by Victor Herbert. There are a bunch of others, but I just caught this one today. I get something new every time. This has to be some of the greatest recorded (and filmed!) music of all time. God Bless Louis Armstrong. What a genius.
Why was the microphone quality soo good. If you used a modern microphone it wouldn’t pick up sound from far away nearly as clearly as the one in this video
Man , that was great ! You really fixed this one up . I liked the close ups and the music was clearer to me . Just terrific ! Yea man ! This is going on the top shelf . The tops ! POPS! Thanks for sharing .
If we can appreciate this mastery now, almost 90 years later, imagine what it must have been like to hear him for the first time in 1933 in Copenhagen. You go to a concert, expecting the musicians to play and sing the melody as written, because that was the convention at the time, maybe with a little embellishment here and there. Then Louis Armstrong comes along, completely destroys every convention, but instead of leaving behind a pile of rubble, he creates, on the spot, something brand new, a new melody, something exciting, showing a whole new level of mastery. It's astonishing! People must have been both shocked and exhilarated at the same time.
I LOVE LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS MUSIC. LOUIS ARMSTRONG WAS A TRUE INTUITIVE MUSICAL GENIUS. HE INSTINCTIVELY KNEW WHAT MADE PEOPLE TAP THEIR FOOT... SING ALONG... AND WANT TO GET UP AND DANCE. LOUIS ARMSTRONG'S IMMENSE TALENT AND HIS WARM SMILE WE'RE TWO OF THE REASONS HE WAS LOVED AND RESPECTED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
Man such a great video.... really enjoyed. It sounds to me that Kesha used that motif he played at 6:16 to write that one song... hahahahaha but still I thoroughly enjoyed this thanks for uploading :D
Yeah, especially since “Dinah” is from 1926 and so was only 7 years “ole” when this was recorded! 😂 But it’s really the thought that counts. All three tunes have by now stood the test of time.
