Author Archives: Ricky Riccardi

This summer marks the 95th anniversary of one of the exciting–and musically rewarding–chapters of Louis Armstrong’s life: his move to California. Up to this point, Armstrong had mostly stayed in a single place for long periods of time: New Orleans from birth to July 1922 (with three summer excursions up the Mississippi River, parked forContinue reading ““West Coast Star”: Scrapbook Coverage of Louis Armstrong in California, 1930-1931″

We have already shared three packed scrapbooks that Louis Armstrong compiled in the last two years of his life, each one chock full of Louis-related photos, articles, telegrams, and other ephemera to make any Armstrong lover’s heart sing. Moving in numerical order, today we hit Armstrong’s Scrapbook 4…not quite one for the Satchmophiles out there,Continue reading “Louis Armstrong’s 1969-1971 Scrapbooks: Scrapbook 4”

Way back in 2020–five years ago this month to be exact–we began a series exploring the scrapbooks Louis Armstrong compiled between 1969 and 1971. The ailing Armstrong had been in intensive care twice in less than a year and doctor’s forbade him from going back out on the road. With time to spend relaxing inContinue reading “Louis Armstrong’s 1969-1971 Scrapbooks: Scrapbook 3”

Lately, our posts have been centered around major milestones in Louis Armstrong’s life, such as the OKeh Records Cabaret and Style Show of 1926 or the recording of Satch Plays Fats from 1955. Today, we’re celebrating something on a smaller scale, something that even the most hardened Armstrong fan isn’t familiar with, but we thinkContinue reading ““Music Has No Age”: Louis Armstrong on “Wide, Wide World” and the Voice of America, June 1955″

Louis Armstrong recorded the immortal LP Satch Plays Fats in 1955–70 years ago! We’re a little late for the anniversary of the recording dates, which occurred on April 26, 27, and May 3, and we’re a little earl for the anniversary of the release, which took place in August 1955, but is there ever aContinue reading ““Satch Plays Fats”: A 70th Anniversary Celebration!”

On June 12, 1926–99 years ago this week–the Chicago Coliseum hosted OKeh Records’ “Cabaret and Style Show,” featuring one of the greatest aggregations of Black talent in the history of show business. Sound like hyperbole? The ad for it appears at the top of this page, as saved in one of Louis and Lil Armstrong’sContinue reading ““Some Jazz Band, I Tell ‘Em So”: OKeh’s Cabaret and Style Show, June 12, 1926″

[Above photo taken by Yuzo Sato, May 1970.] Welcome to the 200th post on the Louis Armstrong House Museum’s “That’s My Home” site! Thank you for visiting and for supporting this endeavor, which was born somewhat out of necessity but which we feel has turned into something special. “That’s My Home” launched on March 27,Continue reading “200th Post Celebration!”

We’ve finally reached showtime, the live broadcast of the second Timex All-Star Jazz Show on April 30, 1958. If you’d like to catch up on how we got here, here are links to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this series, each one jam-packed with previously unpublished photos by Maynard Frank Wolfe. BeforeContinue reading “Second Timex All-Star Jazz Show Celebration: The Final Broadcast”

Welcome back to our series on the second Timex All-Star Jazz Show of April 30, 1958. In case you’re just joining us, here links to Part 1 and Part 2, which covered initial studio rehearsals featuring the likes of Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Chubby Jackson, George Shearing, Ruby Braff, Jack Teagarden, Jaye P.Continue reading “Second Timex All-Star Jazz Show Celebration: The Rehearsals, Part 3”

Last week, we began a new series devoted to Maynard Frank Wolfe’s unpublished photos and the backstories behind the second Timex All-Star Jazz Show, which was broadcast live on CBS television on April 30, 1958. In that initial post, we closed with photos of Louis Armstrong rehearsing with his All Stars and pointed out thatContinue reading “Second Timex All-Star Jazz Show Celebration: The Rehearsals, Part 2”