Louis Daniel Armstrong is an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist, renowned not only for his remarkable husky voice and for crystal-clear sounding trumpet, but also for his dazzling smile. The great musician had a far-reaching influence on jazz and contributed greatly to its mainstreamification all over the world. He is one of those musicians whose names have become legendary for generations and whose songs are timeless.

Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1929, Louis moved to New York City, where he worked in the musical Hot Chocolate, whose performers were all black. The next few years Louis toured extensively, worked with popular big bands, starred in films, appeared on radio and on Broadway. In the pre-war period, Armstrong made a tour in European countries and North Africa, which brought him enormous popularity. By the 1950s, Armstrong was already an icon of jazz music with millions of fans. In 1958, he recorded the spiritual Go Down Moses, once considered the anthem of the American slaves. Moreover, today Armstrong's rending of this song is considered his best.

In the 1960s, Armstrong successfully toured Europe, Africa and Asia, and in 1965, he visited the Eastern Bloc countries. The musician even earned the unofficial nickname 'Jazz Ambassador' and inspired composer Dave Brubeck* to write the musical “The Real Ambassadors”. In 1967, Louis recorded one of his best-known songs, "What A Wonderful World", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame almost 30 years later.
Armstrong recorded his last album in 1968.

Musical selection of jazz tunes performed by Louis Armstrong and his orchestra is posted in the museum Sound Library for the birthday of prominent musician.

* David Warren Brubeck (1920-2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer, and one of the foremost exponents of cool jazz. Some of his compositions have become jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's music employed unusual time signatures as well as superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters, and tonalities.