Chapter 1: America claims to be a melting pot, but part of what makes cuisine taste good are bites that have retained their flavor, texture, and shape. America is diversity in places like the French Quarter of New Orleans on page 3 of chapter one. We see this morsel attached to the pot, keeping its flavor, its flavor, truly French, but significantly what we claim to be America.
In the scene, we can see both Paris and the Midwest. A beaten-up high street feel, with horse-drawn carts and bearded men in overalls. However, on the wrought iron spiers we see Paris. The mood is summed up by the hybrid of Paris and the West in a blacksmith’s sign proclaiming “Bouchoux.”
Chapter 2: It’s important to see landmarks like Louis Armstrong’s birthplace (p. 38). This shows how often great hearts and minds come from humble beginnings. Out of poverty comes greatness. It makes one stop and think about what it was like in the segregated South he was born into in 1901.
The photograph, taken in 1963, reminds us that time passes. The “Jax” queue sign shows the era of the corner store, which was a convenience in the 1960s, but is long gone in today’s world. The fact that the building in which Armstrong was born is demolished reminds us to appreciate greatness in its fleeting step, the step of greatness like Armstrong himself. Nothing is permanent.
Chapter 3: In the image of chapter three, we see Louis Armstrong and King Oliver in 1922. It is quite significant to see Armstrong at the age of twenty-one after seeing him in the previous chapter at the age of nineteen. He had been a boy with his mother and his sister in chapter two, and now, two years later, he looks significantly more like a man to the right of jazz legend King Oliver.
It is also significant to see Oliver and Armstrong together in a photo. Many of us know Armstrong and how he has inspired much of today’s music. It is a delight to glimpse over the shoulders that giant stood. The teacher of this generation is at the source of his wisdom.
Chapter 4: It’s quite a sight to see Atlantic City in 1928 with the Ben Pollack Band. This shows us that jazz has made its way from the southern clubs and ghettos to one of the most popular tourist centers in America at the time. The site of sunbathers and luxurious hotels is quite different from places like Louis Armstrong’s birthplace.
It’s also quite impressive to see so many jazz legends together in one place. We’ve all heard of Benny Goodman. Seeing him in his twenties is quite significant. I hadn’t even heard of greats like Jack Teagarden, who once again prove that the legends I know, like Goodman, stood on the shoulders of those of their day.
Chapter 5: I like the cartoon Chick Webb on his bass drumhead. As I flipped through the book, he caught my eye, which, I imagine, was the purpose of the drum on stage. The crown on Webb’s head in the cartoon gives him a majestic look. Webb on top of his battery crowns this majestic look.
Chick Webb was an important drummer. This photo has that. This almost comical cheekiness of his presence seems to convey this importance. The noisy portrait composition, toothy grin, and mean percussion speak to Webb’s standing as an iconic drummer.
Chapter 6: The facade of the Stanley Theater in the 1930s shows how lavish and ornate palaces were at the time. There has been a movement to restore this type of theater and its architecture. Still, it’s great to imagine being back when that was the norm. The advertisement for “Scientific Air Conditioning” really takes a trip back in time. We travel to the era of Benny Goodman.
It is significant to see that in the 1930s, Goodman has now broken through as the first headliner. His name appears first on the palace bill. Again, like Armstrong, he had just seen it in an earlier chapter when he was twenty years old. It’s fun to call this scene a moment of progress in a time when everything announced has already happened. The time goes by.
Chapter 7: It is a very moving image of the service men sitting around the record player in the service field. The soldiers are holding letters. The music should improve the mood for them imagining their loved ones. A little blues is likely to touch their souls.
This scene shows how jazz is and was music for the people. The smiles of the soldiers show that they relate to the music. Jazz plays both in Atlantic City and in the trenches, not just in the ghettos and clubs. Time has advanced.
Chapter 8: The image of Ella Fitzgerald signing in Manhattan is captivating. The light in this image plays well at all times. There’s a sparkling diamond under her chin, and the spotlight on the audience captures the smoky halo of an intimate club. The artwork on the walls shines with enough light to be captivating, but the artwork doesn’t outshine Ellington, in the audience, which doesn’t outshine Fitzgerald.
Such an intimate nightclub makes one want to be there. I’d like to see Fitzgerald, Ellington, or Goodman perform, let alone be with all three in the confines of a vintage nightclub. Imagine sharing a Coke with Duke Ellington while listening to Ella Fitzgerald. wow. Duke sure looks happy.
Chapter 9: There is a photo of Donald Byrd practicing on the subway. Someone who does something like this is clearly dedicated to his craft. I can see that he doesn’t care about the people around him. He is one with his instrument.
I often go to McDonald’s and sit and meditate and study. This image reminds me of that. The life of an artist is often very lonely. We often want to see and feel what the audience’s reaction is, even if they don’t pay. We often take big risks, like blowing the trumpet on the subway. This image makes you feel connected to Byrd.
Chapter 10: It comes full circle seeing Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet with the kids in Queens. He now he is the giant on whose shoulders the children stand. It’s great to see a man of this stature have time for children. We could only hope that the greats could teach the trade from him.
In his stage, Armstrong had achieved his fame. We can see that it is in children that he enjoys life. And the children return this joy. It’s great to see the range of ages of the children enthralled by the music in this image.
