HOWARD ARMSTRONG "LOUIE BLUIE"

BS106D compact disc only  At age 86, Howard Armstrong has been called the last of the black string band musicians, but that label only  begins to describe his musical talent. Adept on 22 instruments, Armstrong now concentrates mostly on fiddle and mandolin. His repertoire covers the entire spectrum of American music from vaudeville to popular songs,  jazz to blues. Howard Armstrong was born in Dayton,TN in 1909 and began playing mandolin at the age of nine in a family band. His older sister taught him guitar as well. Later Howard organized his younger brothers into  a band called the Armstrong Brothers. When Howard was 14 he met Roland and Carl Martin in Knoxville and began travelling and playing in their band during the summer, returning to go to school in the

fall. Roland Martin was a blind fiddle player and he inspired Howard to learn the instrument. In 1930 they recorded four sides in Knoxville as the  Tennessee Chocolate Drops. Soon Armstrong and Carl Martin teamed up with Ted Bogan and moved to Huntington, WV where the three began a long career together. It was in Huntington that Armstrong got his nickname "Louie  Bluie" and the story is recounted on this album. In 1933 Martin, Bogan & Armstrong moved to Chicago in time to play at the World's Fair. Armstrong played with everybody who was on the scene in Chicago at the time including  Big Bill Broonzy, Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, and Charlie and Joe McCoy. Since then Armstrong has called Detroit home, the base from which he travels throughout the country and the world purveying his exceptional musical talent. On  "Louie Bluie" Armstrong is backed by his son, the bass virtuoso Ralphe Armstrong, (who played for years with John McLaughlin and also Jean-Luc Ponty), and swing guitarist Ray Kamalay. The song selecon shows the  wonderfully wide range of music that Armstrong embraces: Gershwin musical numbers "Lady Be Good" and "Summertime," folk classics like "John Henry," blues standards "St Louis Blues" and  "Sittin' On Top of the World," gay nineties rags, jazz standards "Dinah" and "Chinatown" and even some spirituals. There are a few spoken tracks in which Armstrong recounts how he got his nickname and  what Ted Bogan could do that no other man could, glimpses of a long and varied musical career. "Louie Bluie" is a gem of a recording, a window into the unique musical life of one of this century's premier string players,  the likes of whom won't be heard again. "A history lesson in 20th Century American music" - Matt Watson, Smithsonian Institution  "...a resounding celebration of a true musical genius" - Art Tipaldi, Blues Revue

Ordering information back to the Blue Suit catalog page back to theBlue Suit home page Lady Be Good (Real Audio) Sittin' On Top Of The World (Real Audio) Summertime (Real Audio) to play Real Audio clips merely click on the note icon

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