Louis Armstrong: The Offstage Story of Satchmo [Hardcover]

Michael Cogswell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

One of the most celebrated and beloved jazz musicians, trumpeter and vocalist Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong (1901–1971), had hit recordings for 50 years, appeared in more than 30 motion pictures, and performed all over the world. His music is still heard everywhere today, yet few people know of his life outside the spotlight. After the death of Armstrong’s wife, Lucille, in 1983, archivists were astonished to find that their Queens, New York, house held a treasure trove of home-recorded reel-to-reel tapes, photographs, scrapbooks, papers, gold-plated trumpets, and more. These materials have been preserved in the Louis Armstrong Archives at Queens College while the Armstrong house undergoes renovation before opening as a national historic museum in the fall of 2003. LOUIS ARMSTRONG: THE OFFSTAGE Story OF SATCHMO is the official guide to the stunning collection of the Louis Armstrong House & Archive. It includes a wealth of original autobiographical manuscripts, candid photos, and transcripts from the musician’s private recordings—published here for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This is the "official book" of the Louis Armstrong House and Archives, marking its October 15, 2003, grand opening as a national historic museum. That is to say, it is a souvenir book. But what a souvenir book! One culmination of Cogswell's 12-year labor of ordering and cataloging the great jazzman's belongings, it is loaded with some 300 previously unpublished photographs of the trumpeter and his associates; of the house, inside and out; and of letters, other writings, and the collages of photos and clippings that Armstrong created in his spare time. Cogswell presents these in chapters devoted to Armstrong's career, the house, the archives, and "Discoveries"--that is, things that record forgotten and underdocumented aspects of Armstrong's life. Sections within each chapter home in on particular topics, making for an exceptionally browsable book, for which Cogswell's plain writing is pretty much ideal. An invaluable, keenly lovable treasure-trove about a great American, marred only by far too many typos. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

2003 Gold Winner, Book of the Year Award (Performing Arts) -- Foreword Magazine

2003 Independent Publishers Book Award Honorable Mention (Performing Arts) -- Independent Publishers Association

This book offers an unrivaled opportunity to revel in his warmth and charm. Put it on your Christmas List. -- ArtsJournal.com, October 6, 2003

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Collectors Press; 1St Edition edition (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888054816
• ISBN-13: 978-1888054811
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,302,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Jazz

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great gift for any Louis Armstrong fan, November 24, 2003

By 

R. J. Marsella (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Louis Armstrong: The Offstage Story of Satchmo (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful coffee table book, perfect for paging through while listening to your favorite Louis Armstrong recordings. The photographs include include wonderful candid shots of Louis both on and offstage (despite the title). The book also has some great anecdotal material regarding Louis' life and work. Perusing this book has made me look forward to visiting the newly opened Armstrong House museum in Queens the next time I get back to NYC. A real treasure for the fan of Armstrong's music.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, December 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Louis Armstrong: The Offstage Story of Satchmo (Hardcover)

You will love this book. A ton of rare high quality photographs right from his and wife lucille's private picture albums and scrapbooks. Good writing too in the book that will hold the reader's interest. I agree with the other reviewer in that it makes you want to check out the actual house he once lived in that is open to all fans as a museum.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Coolest Dude Who Ever Lived, May 1, 2007

By 

Jeffrey Zuehlke "writer/editor" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Louis Armstrong: The Offstage Story of Satchmo (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book about a spectacular talent who brought an immeasurable amount of joy to the world. Looking through the hundreds of photos of Louis, one can't help but be charmed by Louis's infectious beaming smile. Reading through the book, I just kept thinking that Louis might have been the coolest person who ever lived. I wish I could have met him, let alone heard him play.