Stomp Off, Let's Go: The Early Years of Louis Armstrong

by Ricky Riccardi

The revelatory origin story of one of America's most beloved musicians, Louis Armstrong

How did Louis Armstrong become Louis Armstrong?

In Stomp Off, Let's Go, author and Armstrong expert Ricky Riccardi tells the enthralling story of the iconic trumpeter's meteoric rise to fame. Beginning with Armstrong's youth in New Orleans, Riccardi transports readers through Armstrong's musical and personal development, including his initial trip to Chicago to join Joe "King" Oliver's band, his first to New York to meet Fletcher Henderson, and his eventual return to Chicago, where he changed the course of music with the Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings.

While this period of Armstrong's life is perhaps more familiar than others, Riccardi enriches extant narratives with recently unearthed archival materials, including a rare draft of pianist, composer, and Armstrong's second wife Lillian "Lil" Hardin Armstrong's autobiography. Riccardi similarly tackles the perceived notion of Armstrong as a "sell-out" during his later years, highlighting the many ways in which Armstrong's musical style and personal values in fact remained steady throughout his career. By foregrounding the voices of Armstrong and his contemporaries, Stomp Off, Let's Go offers a more intimate exploration of Armstrong's personal and professional relationships, in turn providing essential insights into how Armstrong evolved into one of America's most beloved icons.

Genres: Biography, Music, Nonfiction, History, Jazz

488 pages, Hardcover

Published February 3, 2025

Reviews

[Girard Bowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a jazz fan and trumpet player, my interest begins with the bebop era. Dixieland music just sounds too dated to me. Of course, I knew about Louis Armstrong and his well-deserved reputation as the father of modern jazz (although he didn't like bebop, calling it 'Chinese music'). In short, Armstrong wasn't on my musical radar.

Recently, my friend & jazz trumpet teacher lent Riccardi's book to me, and I really enjoyed it. Not only was Armstrong a stellar musician, he was also a stellar person. Riccardi does an excellent job of showing both sides of Armstrong, and telling about the birth of early jazz, which is inextricable from Armstrong's story. Riccari's description of a number of his recordings had me going to YouTube (is there anything that's NOT on YT?!). Still not my cup of tea, I have a better idea of Armstrong's contributions to jazz. Riccardi's book is well-written, with loads of interviews and stories. This is not a book I would have picked up on my own, so I'm grateful to my friend for sharing it with me.

[Mike Mikulski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and richly detailed biography of an amazing and influential musician at a pivotal point in American History. Born on July 4, 1901, to a mother who drifts in and out of alcoholism and prostitution throughout his life, Armstrong begins working odd jobs at the age of 6 to bring money in to help support his mother and sister. He begins developing a love and talent for music, singing in street corner quartets and playing the bugle while working on a coal cart. Listening to Armstrong's cornet and trumpet in the 20's you can hear song in his horn's tone. Listen to West End Blues to hear it.

Armstrong's 3rd ward New Orleans neighborhood is surrounded by crime, violence, vice, alcohol and music. Armstrong finds he has a gift to entertain through humor, dance and music. On Jan. 1 1913 Armstrong takes a gun from his Mother's room and uses it as a New Year’s Eve noisemaker firing it into the air. He is arrested and sentenced to time in juvenile detention at the Colored Waif's Home for Boys, a charitable home run by a leader in the black community. The home features a brass band where Armstrong gets the opportunity to learn to play the cornet and develop his musical and entertainment talent. Once released from the home in 1914 Armstrong's life is a combination of one off jobs and musical opportunities to play in parade bands, brothels, gambling halls and cabarets in the New Orleans Black Community and the Storyville red-light district. This is a period where New Orleans brass band music and ragtime are beginning to evolve into Jazz, a term first used by the New Orleans press to describe this music in 1915.

Armstrong's early musical arc is influenced by New Orleans band leaders and horn players Bunk Johnson and Joe "King" Oliver. Armstrong spends time playing with the Fate Marable Jaz-E-Saz band that plays riverboats travelling up and down the Mississippi each summer out of St. Louis.

World War I and post-war prohibition begin to shrink the New Orleans Storyville district and musicians begin migrating to other cities for more opportunities. Armstrong moves to Chicago where he joins King Oliver's band and meets his second wife Lil Hardin, Oliver's pianist. Armstrong’s first love was a prostitute named Daisy who he marries at 20 in New Orleans but the marriage moves into fighting with Daisy frequently threatening Armstrong with a razor. Armstrong eventually separates and divorces. Hardin recognizes Armstrong's talent and pushes him to move from a sideman to a trumpet and cornet lead in 5 person and 7 person bands. This leads to amazing musical growth with great fellow talent in Louis Armstrong's Hot 5 and Hot 7 bands. This is also the beginning of the age of recorded music and Armstrong and his bands begin recording for Okeh records. Okeh sees the market for selling jazz records as race music to the African American community. Armstrong plays with great musicians from New Orleans who have also migrated north with clarinetist Johnny Dodds and drummer Zutty Singleton and Chicago pianists Hardin and Earl Hines among them. It is during this period in Chicago that Armstrong begins scat singing in performance and in recordings. These records and shows meet great musical and popular success. Armstrong's music begins to spread outside of the Black southside clubs of Chicago influencing and providing a style to copy for white jazz bands.

The end of Stomp Off and Go leaves Armstrong evolving from a purely Jazz musician to a one of the first popular music stars on the verge of taking his music to New York where he will become a Big Band leader.

The book paints Armstrong as a musical talent who is always easing a tense situation with a laugh, someone who is extremely confident in his ear and musical ability, but at the same time is always willing to give credit and support to those who taught him and helped him in his early development. I look forward to reading Riccardi's two other volumes of Armstrong biography written before Stomp Off and Go working backward through Armstrong's life.

[Edward Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening. This is a terrific biography of Pops, the first that has been able to make full use of the incredible archives of the Louis Armstrong Center, as well as important research done in New Orleans by Tad Jones. Ricky Riccardi writes a fascinating book about what MADE Louis-from the desperate poverty but culturally and emotionally RICH childhood in New Orleans, to his journeyman years on the riverboats, his rise to mastery in Chicago alongside Joe Oliver, his huge impact in New York, his even bigger explosion returning to Chicago, and his guidance to stardom at the hands of second wife Lil Hardin Armstrong and record producers like Tommy Rockwell. Riccardi is WONDERFUL at describing the music that inspired Louis, and changed him over time, starting with New Orleans brass bands and early jazz, Caruso, Galli-Curci, and importantly, a little later, sweet players and bands like B.A. Rolfe and Guy Lombardo! It’s astounding to read that Louis and his band of hot Chicago musicians would AVIDLY listen to Lombardo broadcasts in the late 1920’s. Riccardi also shows how Louis’ record company saw that the record buying and dancing public was becoming less interested in “hot” jazz and more interested in “sweet” sounds with hot breaks, for dancing, and felt Louis could become a popular star, rather than one limited to just “race record” releases with a smoother backing sound and more pop song choices. Finally, Louis own wonderful personality shines through, because he left so many wonderful written and recorded memories about his life and music that are masterfully drawn on to great effect here. Highest recommendations!

[Michael G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fan of Riccardi's two earlier Pops books, I've been so looking forward to STOMP OFF, LET'S GO--and this masterful book does not disappoint; in fact, STOMP OFF is overwhelmingly wonderful. As the director of research at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, Riccardi has access to thousands of hours of Armstrong's homemade tapes, as well as a wealth of documents; his scholarship lives and breathes on every page. Combine the author's scholarship with his IMMENSE LOVE AND RESPECT for Pops and one is truly reading a masterwork. I was a lucky child: Armstrong's peerless music played in my home from birth on; I've even written a young adult novel, TRAVELS WITH LOUIS, that is in the curricula of many schools in the U.S. and abroad. So I know my Pops...and yet...I was learning something new (and fascinating) about Louis Armstrong on almost every page. Riccardi's skillful writing style is smooth and welcoming as the early years of Louis' life glide past. For the Armstrong fanatic, for the Armstrong fan, for anyone interested in one of our truly great American heroes (and humans), STOMP OFF, LET'S GO is unmissable. BRAVO to Ricky Riccardi and a hearty YEAH, MAN to one and all. In these turbulent and backwards days, the lessons of Louis Armstrong--to live one's life with gusto, generosity, kindness, and an unwavering dedication to the work--are more vitally important than ever. --Mick Carlon

[Sam Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ricky Riccardi has the best job in the world...he's the Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum. (I hear the commute is tough). He is obliged to write this book.

And I'm glad he did.

I've read a lot about Louis Armstrong (Armstrong's own autobiographies, Bergreen, Brothers and Riccardi's previous books on Armstrong) but Stomp Off has some wonderful information that could only be found by listening, as Riccardi did) to the 700 reel-to-reel tapes Pops recorded of himself and friends over the years. In addition, Riccardi, with a little help from his numerous friends in the jazz historiography world, uncovered hidden gems of tape, notes, and manuscripts that weren't available when Riccardi started his trilogy. Plus, Riccardi has a voluminous (some might call it nerd-like) knowledge of Louis Armstrong that informs his writing. But I have a nerd-like love for Louis Armstrong too.

Riccardi's narrative is lively, engaging and fun to read, not only for the jazz fan, but for everyone. Bonus: the chapters are short enough (or long enough) to find stopping points during a reading session. It all adds up to a pleasurable reading experience.

Tip: if you are reading on an e-reader, highlight the songs Riccardi mentions and later go to your music player and give the Armstrong hits a listen. YOu're guaranteed to feel some of the joy Riccardi has for Satchmo.

Ultimately, Stomp Off, Let's Go: The Early Years of Louisiana Armstrong is a treasure.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. If you want to read about Louis Armstrong start here and then go on to Mr. Riccardi's other two books about Louis in chronological order. The author knows the subject and has meticulously researched all aspects. You not going to find better...and he has been kind enough to post spotify playlists of all the recordings mentioned. It's a great deal all around.

[Scott Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consistently interesting. Recommended for musicians.