Category Archives: Uncategorized

Dan Morgenstern, the dean of all jazz historians and advocates, passed away on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at the age of 94. You can learn more about Dan’s incredible life and numerous accomplishments in his New York Times obituary and you can hear a bit of Dan in action on NPR’s tribute. For our purposes,Continue reading ““Special–From First to Last”: In Loving Memory of Dan Morgenstern”

Today marks the first day of Fan Week at the U. S. Open, heralding the beginning of one of the most exciting times to be a tennis fan in New York City. Beginning this week and continuing through the actual U. S. Open, which will be taking place between August 26 and September 8, thousandsContinue reading “The Story Behind the Naming of Louis Armstrong Stadium”

Our previous post covered Louis Armstrong’s appearance at the “Friendly Fifty” picnic on August 16, 1970, a time when Armstrong was feeling especially good ; the previous day, Armstrong began writing a letter to Max Jones in England in which he announced that he had been given the clearance by his doctor to once againContinue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 55–Final Visit June 1971″

Our last couple of posts in the series were set in early August 1970, when Jack Bradley attended the recording sessions for Louis “Country and Western” Armstrong and the resultant photo shoot for that took place in Central Park. Bradley had spent much of the previous year in Cape Cod, serving as Bobby Hackett’s roadContinue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 54–Friendly Fifty Picnic August 1970″

Last time out, we covered the sessions for what turned out to be Louis Armstrong’s final studio album, Louis “Country and Western” Armstrong, produced by Cowboy Jack Clement and Ivan Mogull. Here’s a Jack Bradley photo of Armstrong, Clement, and Mogull, taken at one of the sessions, that we missed last time: We also coveredContinue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 53–“Louis ‘Country and Western’ Armstrong” Central Park Photo Shoot August 1970″

Our last few posts have revolved around the many celebrations of Louis Armstrong’s 70th birthday that took place in 1970, beginning with the recording sessions for Louis Armstrong and His Friends in May, the multiple TV appearances and magazine articles that appeared in June, and the climactic tribute concert held at the Newport Jazz FestivalContinue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 52–“Louis ‘Country and Western’ Armstrong” Sessions August 1970″

Our previous post dealt with the numerous ways Louis Armstrong’s 70th birthday was being celebrated on July 4, 1970, usually with Jack Bradley involved in some capacity. The grandest of all tributes, though, would come on July 10 when George Wein turned over an entire evening of the Newport Jazz Festival to celebrating Satch’s 70th–andContinue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 51–70th Birthday Tribute at the Newport Jazz Festival”

Last time out, Louis Armstrong kicked off his upcoming 70th birthday (now is not the time to go into the whole birthdate fiasco) by recording the album Louis Armstrong and His Friends. As Armstrong’s July 4 birthday approached, he did not celebrate it alone: the event was accompanied by a multimedia onslaught with television specials,Continue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 50–“Dial M for Music” and “Down Beat” and “Saturday Review” Tributes, June 1970″

As referenced in our previous post, Jack Bradley and Louis Armstrong spent a few months apart in late 1969 and early 1970 as Armstrong continued convalescing at home after the health issues that plagued him the previous year and Bradley was spending more time in Massachusetts acting as a road manager for cornetist Bobby Hackett.Continue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 49–Corona Hang and “Louis Armstrong and His Friends” Sessions, Spring 1970″

In our previous post, we detailed some of Louis Armstrong’s rare public appearances that took place after his second stint in intensive care in 1969. He hadn’t made any recordings since July 1968, but that all changed on October 23 when Armstrong found himself back in the studio to record “We Have All the TimeContinue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 48–James Bond Session and Letters from Louis, 1969-1970″