23143

Louis Armstrong Signed Window Display Card. Also Signed by Luis Russell.

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Comics Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:800.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
Louis Armstrong Signed Window Display Card. Also Signed by Luis Russell.
<B>Louis Armstrong Signed Window Display Card. Also Signed by Luis Russell.</B></I> Louis Armstrong is thought of by many as the trumpet player with the gravelly voice who sang "Hello Dolly," but he is so much more! Armstrong is quite possibly the most important voice in defining what we now call "Jazz" and certainly the architect of "Jazz Improvisation". The illegitimate son of a 15-year-old girl and abandoned by his father, Louis Armstrong learned to play cornet in the band at the "Colored Waifs' Home For Boys" in New Orleans. In later years, he would fondly remember, "Me and music got married at that home." In 1922, Satchmo got his first national exposure performing with the King Oliver Band. Oliver, a legendary cornetist in his own right and leader of one of the first important jazz bands, became Armstrong's mentor. From 1925-1928, Louis Armstrong made a series of recordings under his own name that basically redefined what jazz was. Louis Armstrong made the 4/4 tempo the standard of swing music. He was the first to establish the jazz form: melody-solo-melody, and he was the first to play a complete improvised chorus over the form of a song, as opposed to simply playing short breaks that only embellished the melody. Armstrong, in short, invented the vocabulary of form that every jazz musician still employs today. When he died in 1971, Louis Armstrong was considered a national treasure. Bing Crosby said, "American music begins and ends with Louis Armstrong." This Window Display Card is also signed by pianist Luis Russell, who played piano with the seminal King Oliver ensemble before going on to form his own big band. In 1935, Louis Armstrong began fronting the Russell Orchestra, and this card beautifully documents an important moment in the history of jazz. Luis Russell died in 1963, making his autograph quite rare. The graphics on this 13" x 16" Window Display Card are impressively done in blue, orange, black, and white, and include a wonderful picture of Armstrong seated with his trumpet. It is signed and inscribed in blue fountain pen on the right side of his photo, "Best Wishes From Louis 'Satch' Armstrong". The card is also signed in black fountain pen, "Luis Russell Pianist". Condition is superb except for pinholes, one on each corner, which would not show when matted and framed. This is a rare and historical piece of musical history, representing an important early peak in Louis Armstrong's career! <I>Accompanied by COA from Jazz & Big Band expert Larry Rafferty.</B></I> <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</B> Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 24.5% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid.