Ode to Satchmo
Need a weekend party? Check out MPO’S Louis armstrong tribute.
SEE trees of green ... red roses too, I see ’em bloom ... for me and for you, and I think to myself ... what a wonderful world. When you hear the lyrics, you’re bound to recognise the singer. He had a unique voice that was raspy and limited in range, but when Louis Armstrong sang, people took notice. Artistes including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan deeply admired his singing and would mould their own vocal style from his example.
Still, playing the trumpet was what he did best. With his daring and innovative style, Armstrong defined the role of the jazz trumpet soloist and revolutionised jazz itself.
This weekend, music fans will get to hear his music when the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) collaborates with American trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling in a special tribute to the legend nicknamed Satchmo. Slated under the Pops series, the twonight concert series at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, starting tomorrow, will be conducted by Grammy award-winning composer Jeff Tyzik.
Stripling, who has played numerous tributes to Armstrong with different orchestras, is also the artistic director of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the leader of his own quartet, and constantly in demand to play with pop orchestras around the world. The happiness that he exudes through his trumpet, his vocals and his words is reminiscent of Armstrong, yet very much his own.
“Louis reminds me to live and create in the field of infinite possibilities. His ability to stand before a microphone with no inhibitions or self-conscienceness makes us all realise that if we dig deep within ourselves, we all have unique creative abilities,” said Stripling in a recent e-mail interview.
“While most of us feel naked on stage and afraid to reveal ourselves, Louis did just the opposite. He had no creative fears and in fact exploited what some would call his faults or weaknesses. That’s why we fell in love with the gravel in his voice and smiled when he spoke in non-standard English.”
Armstrong’s charismatic stage presence impressed the music world. He rose from rags to riches and biographers write that as a young boy, Armstrong would dance for pennies on the streets of New Orleans. He would scoop up the coins on the streets and stick them into his mouth to avoid having bigger children steal them from him. Someone dubbed him “satchel mouth” for his mouth acting as a satchel. The name stuck.
He died in 1971, at the age of 70. Since his death, his stature has only continued to grow. Some of his memorable songs include Hello Dolly!, Mack The Knife, What A Wonderful World, When It’s Sleepy Time Down South and La Via En Rose.
MPO’s tribute will lean heavily on the New Orleans influence of his music, with Tyzik responsible for the majority of the arrangements.
“The people of New Orleans always embraced the multi-cultural aspect of the city. Rather than resist the differences, they embraced them. It’s like the New Orleans food that is a combination of many different influences and in the case of a good Gumbo; it’s all thrown into a pot and stirred together,” said Stripling. “That’s really the feeling you get from the music ... if it’s good, they’ll toss it in there and use it. That’s why when Armstrong was asked about the white musicians in his band, he replied, ‘A note doesn’t care who plays it.’”
The son of a classical singer, the Atlanta, Georgia-born Stripling was always surrounded by music. It may have been the radio broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera, Charlie Parker recordings or the latest Michael Jackson record. In the Stripling family home, great music was defined by what moved them emotionally and challenged them intellectually.
He originally enrolled at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, with intentions of becoming a classical trumpeter but abandoned plans when he was asked to perform with some of the jazz luminaries. Stripling jumped at the opportunity and quit school.
Stripling reasoned, “I have no regrets! Many of the great musicians I performed with have passed away. I have been so privileged to have shared the stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Dave Brubeck, Woody Herman, Buck Clayton, Thad Jones and so many others. Had I stayed in school when I got the call to perform with those jazz greats, I’d have missed the opportunity to sit at the feet of those great masters.”
One of Stripling’s favourite Armstrong numbers is Cornet Chop Suey, from the classic 1920’s Hot Five & Seven recordings.
“It demonstrates that every time the trumpet touched Louis’ lips, new rules were written on the playing of jazz. His rhythmic, melodic and harmonic concept set new standards for creativity and sheer musical exuberance.
“Young musicians now understand they’re going directly to the source when they study his music, while listeners feel an immediate emotional impact upon hearing just a few bars of his trumpet,” concluded Stripling.
MPO’s tribute to Louis Armstrong will take place at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, KLCC, at 8.30pm on June 15 and 3pm on June 16. Tickets are priced at RM60, RM130, RM180 and RM230. Phone bookings: 03-2051 7007.