Ricky Riccardi

2 months ago | honest-broker.com | Ricky Riccardi |Ted Gioia

If you want to understand 20th century American music, you really must start with Louis Armstrong. Armstrong changed the entire pulse of commercial music—inventing rhythmic phrases nobody had heard before. This allowed him to create new melodies, which he performed with a virtuosity unsurpassed in popular music. This sounds like hype, but it’s all true—and documented on recordings. Other musicians always wanted to examine Armstrong’s horn. They were certain it must be some kind of trick instrument.

2 months ago | kirkusreviews.com | Ricky Riccardi |Stephanie Johnson |Brandon Stanton |

Riccardi leaves no stone unturned in this expansive biography that jazz fans will enjoy. How a young Louis became the first King of Pop. Riccardi, director of research collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and author of two books on the great jazz trumpeter, explores Armstrong’s formative years. With the assistance of new primary sources, he takes on numerous rumors and biographical discrepancies about Armstrong and others in his life.

Jan 13, 2024 | virtualexhibits.louisarmstronghouse.org | Ricky Riccardi

Lucille Wilson Armstrong was born on January 13, 1914, 110 years ago today! Previously, we did a deep dive on Lucille’s full life in this post from 2020, but for today’s celebration, we will stick to Lucille’s widowhood and share some rare audio and video of Lucille in conversation that we recently digitized for the first time. Suffice to say, without Lucille, there would be no Louis Armstrong House Museum.

Sep 27, 2023 | virtualexhibits.louisarmstronghouse.org | Ricky Riccardi

Last month, we set the scene for Louis Armstrong’s August 1967 engagement at Caesar’s Monticello in Framingham, Massachusetts with a post about Louis and his entourage’s stay at the Monticello Motel, aided and abetted by several dozen photos snapped by Jack Bradley. Today, we will continue the saga but this time will focus on the Monticello stage–including some audio.

Aug 31, 2023 | 64parishes.org | Ricky Riccardi |Chris Turner-Neal

Last August, I visited New Orleans for my fifteenth straight Satchmo Summerfest. I landed at Louis Armstrong International Airport, where gigantic digital signage proclaimed, “Happy Birthday and All That Jazz, Louis Armstrong.” A traditional jazz band greeted travelers with lively performances of songs Armstrong performed in his hometown while still a teenager.