Heart Full of Rhythm

Nearly 50 years after his death, Louis Armstrong remains one of the 20th century's most iconic figures. Popular fans still appreciate his later hits such as "Hello, Dolly!" and "What a Wonderful World," while in the jazz community, he remains venerated for his groundbreaking innovations in the
1920s. The achievements of Armstrong's middle years, however, possess some of the trumpeter's most scintillating and career-defining stories. But the story of this crucial time has never been told in depth -- until now. Between 1929 and 1947, Armstrong transformed himself from a little-known
trumpeter in Chicago to an internationally renowned pop star, setting in motion the innovations of the Swing Era and Bebop. He had a similar effect on the art of American pop singing, waxing some of his most identifiable hits such as "Jeepers Creepers" and "When You're Smiling." However as author
Ricky Riccardi shows, this transformative era wasn't without its problems, from racist performance reviews and being held up at gunpoint by gangsters to struggling with an overworked embouchure and getting arrested for marijuana possession. Utilizing a prodigious amount of new research, Riccardi
traces Armstrong's mid-career fall from grace and dramatic resurgence. Featuring never-before-published photographs and stories culled from Armstrong's personal archives, Heart Full of Rhythm tells the story of how the man called "Pops" became the first "King of Pop."

"The Apollo Theatre in Harlem is synonymous with some of the greatest names in African-American entertainment such James Brown, Redd Foxx, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Michael Jackson-and Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong? A man seemingly vilified by the black press and who lost his black fan base over the years because of his out-of-date stage persona? A hero at the Apollo? And in the black press? The way Armstrong's story is often told, this might be difficult to fathom but it's all true. Upon his return to the United States in January 1935 after 18 months in Europe, Armstrong's first stop was the brand-new Apollo. Lip troubles prevented him from playing that evening, but his appearance shook up the Theatre, causing management to put up a placard stating: "Coming Shortly-Louis Armstrong." On August 30, 1935, Armstrong finally graced the Apollo stage. There was much apprehension before his appearance. It was his first New York engagement in nearly two years. He hadn't recorded in America since April 1933. He spent much of the first half of 1935 physically unable to play his trumpet. What kind of shape would he be in? Could he still hit his famed high notes? Should he retire? The black press whipped itself into a frenzy in previewing his return to Harlem. Armstrong himself knew this was a defining moment and took a snapshot of the marquee, keeping it for his personal collection"--

"Riccardi (director, Research Collections, Louis Armstrong House Museum) laments that the period between 1929 and 1947 is often minimized and sometimes disparaged by historians, critics, and musicians, who characterized Armstrong's influence and popularity, particularly within the African American
community, as inconsequential and unproductive. In Heart Full of Rhythm, Riccardi disputes such claims, demonstrating through a review of Armstrong's touring schedule, box office and record sales, radio and film appearances, accounts from his musical collaborators and contemporaries, and critical
reviews lauding his musicianship that Armstrong not only held his audiences but transcended the success of other swing era big bands by achieving notoriety beyond jazz circles. ... Enthusiasts and scholars of jazz music will find this a quick and interesting read on an important period in the
artist's life." -- A. C. Shahriari, CHOICE

"We get Armstrong in his own words as much as possible, as well as sources that have not been commonly quoted. And Riccardi even explains where the term "Moldy Fig" came from. We all know the obvious question: when is Volume 1 of the Armstrong saga going to be written? Ricky Riccardi has produced
two masterpieces relating the story of a legendary musician who changed World Music. I can't be the only one who is waiting for Ricky Riccardi to tell the rest of the Armstrong story his way. It is obvious it is such good hands." -- Jeffrey Sultanof, ARSC Journal

"Riccardi's Heart Full of Rhythm is the best account we have of Armstrong's vital work with big bands -- the research is impeccable, the ardor contagious." -- Gary Giddins, Author of Bing Crosby: Swinging On A Star -- The War Years, 1940-1946

"This book is an exuberant treasury of new information about one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time. Most significant here is that this careful researcher torches the clich� that Armstrong rose in a 1920s flash and then fell onto the swords of commercialism. In soaring
prose, Riccardi walks you through vital musical/cultural decades while re-introducing a man we thought we knew but who was even greater." -- Robert G. O'meally, Founder and Director Of Columbia University's Center For Jazz Studies and Editor of The Jazz Cadence of American Culture and The Romare
Bearden Reader

"At last! A thrilling and intimate journey through the most undervalued period of Armstrong's career! Every chapter is a revelation!" -- Catherine Russell, Grammy Award-Winning Jazz/Blues vocalist and daughter of Luis Russell

"This vitally American story has been expertly told in this superlative biography -- SWING THAT MUSIC indeed!" -- Loren Schoenberg, Senior Scholar/Founding Director, National Jazz Museum in Harlem

"Riccardi's meticulous scholarship and his exuberance for all things Armstrong make Heart Full of Rhythm a must-read for all interested in Armstrong, jazz, and our shared cultural heritage." -- Jon Faddis, Trumpter, Conductor, Composer, and Educator

"Dedicated research, access to ideal sources, and fine storytelling combine to shed new light and insight on the most interesting and least well-documented period of Armstrong's fabled life. Riccardi has done it again, but even more so." -- Dan Morgenstern, Director Emeritus of The Institute of Jazz
Studies, Rutgers University

"A vibrant portrait of Armstrong focused on his career from 1929 to 1947, when he had a decisive impact on both jazz and popular music... Riccardi, whose previous book covered Armstrong's later years, brings the same erudition and enthusiasm to his latest. An appreciative, deeply informed
biography."--Kirkus

"Riccardi brilliantly sums up the life and work of Armstrong."--Publishers Weekly

"Riccardi produces a meticulously researched but readable account that jazz fans will embrace as a standard work about the iconic trumpeter."--Library Journal

"Heart Full of Rhythm is every bit as full and human as What a Wonderful World; in both cases, Riccardi, surely Armstrong's foremost chronicler, mines the copious primary sources in order to flesh out the often turbulent details of Armstrong's personal life... the two volumes together both comprises
a pricelessly detailed look at crucial periods in Armstrong's life and also summon the vision of what a full-dress one-volume Satchmo biography by Riccardi would be like."--Open Letters, Steve Donoghue

"An all-encompassing, vividly detailed biographical portrait of one of the richest careers in all of music."--Wall Street Journal

"The scope of Riccardi's research is impressive, as is his talent for fluently presenting the material in a manner that maintains the readers' interest... Riccardi recognizes that he is telling the story of a complex, interesting and significant figure, and understands how to make him come alive on
each page."--Jersey Jazz magazine

"In Heart Full of Rhythm: The Big Band Years of Louis Armstrong author Ricky Riccardi focuses on the 1930s and 40s, a period in Armstrong's life that has long deserved more detailed examination... Better than any other Armstrong biographer, Riccardi explains in great detail Pops' often-strained
relationship with managers, club owners, and prohibition mobsters."--Syncopated Times

"A brilliantly researched, vivid portrait of the great trumpeter, which covers a golden era from 1929 to 1947."--The Independent (U.K.)

"Heart Full Of Rhythm elucidates and entertains from start to finish. Each chapter ends with a tantalising hook that anticipates the next, keeping the reader engaged and focused. Like its subject, it swings!"--Jazz Journal

"If you want to know what Louis was really like--as a person, not as a trumpet player, but as a person--this book let's you get a look into him as a human being. It isn't all just, 'Well, if you're a trumpet player, ' you'll enjoy the book. It does a lot to shine a good light on the relationship
between races. If you know Louis, you like this book and you read it, it might change your life if you haven't opened yourself up to it before. I just sat down and started reading the book all over again. I could read this book five times a year, I swear to God I could."'--Doc Severinsen