Lil Hardin Armstrong: The Early Years (PART 1/2)

In this episode of "Wild Women of Song" we begin talking about the early years in the life of our first lady of jazz - Lil Hardin Armstrong!
Lil, who is usually only mentioned as an incidental footnote to her husband Louis Armstrong, is frankly overlooked as a jazz pianist. Yet her powerful, rhythmic style was remarked upon by many musicians, and although certainly not a soloist like Earl Hines, she did something few musicians still know how to do: delight in the role of supporting the singer or soloist, and play in a manner meant almost to disappear within the fabric of the rhythm section. She played a straight ahead, no nonsense 4/4 groove that drove every band she was in.
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ABOUT THE SHOW:
"Pamela Rose presents Wild Women of Song" is a captivating video showpiece celebrating the lives, times and music of the women songwriters of the Tin Pan Alley era. Host Pamela Rose features a new segment every WILD Wednesday! Look out for photo archives, fascinating facts, and some guest appearances in our weekly episodes!
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With dramatic projected images, and superb storytelling, Rose artfully delivers a cultural retrospective while treating the audience to a wonderful live jazz and blues concert.
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[@Thoraxziod]

According to this Time Life "Giants of Jazz" record set that I just bought a fuller account of the meeting between Lil Harding and Jelly Roll Morten goes like this:
"I used to challenge all the pianists who came in and I remained unchallenged until Jelly Roll showed up. I had never heard such playing before. Jelly Roll sat down, the piano rocked, the floor shivered and the people swayed as he attacked the keyboard with his long, skinny fingers, beating out a double rhythm with his feet on the loud pedal-I was amazed and thrilled. Finally, he got up from the piano, grinned and looked at me as if to say 'Let that be a lesson to you." It certainly was a lesson, so much so that I didn't want to play while Jelly Roll was there, but the people insisted that he hear me play and I finally gave in. I figured there was no need for me to try to complete with him on popular music, so I laid the Witches Dance and Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C Sharp Minor on him. The way people applauded when I was through, one would think that I had won the contest, but I know I could never beat Jelly Roll and, from that day on, I put all my 85 pounds to work trying to sound like him."

[@ShujoSLX]

that is a wild woman

[@Greg07623]

Wonderful channel! Have you covered Sophie Tucker at any point?

[@myless789]

What song was that at the end?