professional band instrument market and 25 percent of beginner instrument sales.
has expanded via acquisition to become America's largest manufacturer of musical instruments. Always committed to serving the needs of students, music educators, amateurs, and professionals, The Selmer Company has grown steadily over the years, becoming the industry leader recognized for craftsmanship and quality."įounded early in the 20th century to import and distribute European-made clarinets, The Selmer Company, Inc.
The instrument dedicated to his name bears the signature features of (1) a circular ‘pinky ring’ for the fourth finger of the player’s left hand placed underneath the instrument’s third-valve tuning slide, and (2) - and most notably - the forward placement of the instrument’s three valves bringing them further away from its mouthpiece (and therefore the player) and much closer to its flared bell."The Selmer Company encompasses the greatest names in musical instruments-Selmer and Bach wind instruments, Ludwig and Musser percussion instruments, Glaesel and Lewis string instruments. However the ‘Special’ instrument, produced by the Selmer company in 1933 as the ‘Louis Armstrong balanced-action trumpet’ may possibly have been another reason for Louis to celebrate his new business partnership on record. Armstrong authority Ricky Riccardi believes this to have been prompted by Armstrong’s first trip to Europe in 1932 where he received a Selmer trumpet (now on display at the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona New York) from King George 5th. Today Louis’ house on 107th Street Corona New York is a public monument and memorial to his incomparable career and his life’s work has been documented in essential books by Ricky Riccardi (‘What a Wonderful World’ and ‘Heartful of Rhythm’) and Terry Teachout (‘Pops a Life of Louis Armstrong’).Įight months later on April 24th 1933 Armstrong would also record his vaudeville classic ‘Laughin’ Louis’on which he announces that he is going to play his Selmer trumpet (‘bless its little heart’) effectively his first on-record endorsement of the company. Handy (1954) Fats Waller (1955-6) and his ‘Musical Autobiography’ (complete with commentary, 1956-7). In the meantime he produced endless on-record masterpieces not only the pop tunes of the day (complete with trumpet solos of shining creativity) but also countless definitive jazz albums including his salutes to W.C. His last album ‘Louis Armstrong and his Friends’ includes Harry Nilsson’s ‘Everybody’s talkin’ and John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’ and in the meantime he had knocked the Beatles off the top of the charts in 1964 with ‘Hello Dolly’ and appeared in the movie-musical with Barbra Streisand (1969).Īmid a fifty year career of unequalled musical creativity he was a (benevolent) musical pioneer for Black rights, appearing in films on radio and TV, constantly touring with his big band (1930-47) and then his justly-named ‘All Stars’ (1947-71). And his wondrous creations on light-hearted titles like ‘Potato Head Blues’ (1927) as well as ‘Two Deuces’ and phenomenal ‘West End Blues’ (both 1928) are nonetheless some of the greatest jazz on record.įor the next four decades Louis – a genius who saw no barriers between his public or the matter of keeping up with the musical times – continued to record right up to one year before his death.
With his eighty-nine ‘Hot Five’ and ‘Hot Seven’ recordings between 1925-7 Louis (pronounced ‘Lewis but also fondly recalled as ‘Satchmo’ or ‘Pops’) was the first to elevate the art of the improvised jazz solo to symphonic compositional level. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was the first great jazz trumpet soloist (and singer) and is still regularly regarded as the greatest jazz musician of all time.