Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong

Elegant and affecting . . .A perceptive biography of Louis Armstrong and a sensitive appreciation of his music (Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World ).

A valuable, jubilant look at a great man and artist. — New York Times Book Review

Louis Satchmo Armstrong has been called the most influential musician of the twentieth century: His magnificent career as a trumpet player, singer, bandleader, and actor made hima legend in his own time; his influence on jazz and popular music is impossible to overstate. Gary Giddins has been called the best jazz writer in America today ( Esquire ). Together this auspicious pairing has resulted in Satchmo, one of the most vivid and fascinating portraits ever drawn of the great man and superlative artist. Giddins was the first writer to have access to Armstrong's unpublished writings, and he uses them to deftly recount Louis's colorful—and sometimes controversial—life. The result is an intimate biography, uniquely balanced in its treatment of his music and his life. Also available in an illustrated edition, this is a vital introduction to the man and his genius.

A loving portrait. — Philadelphia Inquirer

A treasury worthy of both the genius and the gentle spirit of Armstrong. — People