NEW YORK, NY, October 18, 2021 – World-renowned jazz icon Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was a man for all seasons, and the holidays were no exception. He and his wife Lucille would beautifully decorate the interior and exterior of their Corona, Queens home, and Armstrong recorded joyful holiday music and even narrated The Night Before Christmas.
Now, Armstrong’s holiday cheer can be shared with everyone through the offer of three custom-curated glass What A Wonderful World™ ornaments made available by The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc., (LAEF) a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1969 to perpetuate the legacies of Louis and Lucille Armstrong throughout the world by supporting musicians, jazz education, performances and programming.
All 3.25 inches in diameter, the red and green ornaments feature the iconic slogan What a Wonderful World™ while the white ones showcase a photo of Armstrong. They sell individually for $8.00 or all three for $20.00. The ornaments are available on the LAEF website for pre-order now and will ship on, or around, November 19.
The new, 13-track tribute CD, A Gift to Pops, released Friday, October 15 in conjunction with LAEF and Verve Records, also makes a great gift for family and friends. It is a swinging and sensational reimagining of Armstrong-associated songs performed by an impressive assemblage of predominately New Orleans musicians, The Wonderful World™ of Louis Armstrong All Stars. The personnel includes pianists Courtney Bryan and Davell Crawford, bassist Reginald Veal, banjo virtuoso Donald Vappie, trumpeter Ashlin Parker, tenor saxophonist Roderick Paulin, drummer/vocalist Herlin Riley, vocalists Niki Haris and Menia Chester, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, and trumpeters Wendell Brunious and Nicholas Payton. Special guests include guitarist Derwin, “Big D” Perkins, the celebrated Chicago rapper Common and the multi award-winning trumpeter and President of LAEF, Wynton Marsalis.
Far from being a repertory recording, this disc offers dynamic interpretations of songs that Armstrong recorded, with a modern twist. As the impresario George Wein wrote in the liner notes, “… With this recording, this music of Louis Armstrong demonstrates how he created the language of jazz and influenced all the music that followed – from swing to bebop and even to rap, as demonstrated by Common. But there’s one thing for sure: This band and record demonstrate that there was nothing common about Louis Armstrong.”
Armstrong said that he was “here in the cause of happiness,” and these two offerings, the What A Wonderful World™ ornaments and A Gift to Pops, are excellent extensions of his noble mission.
About the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation:
Founded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation funds organizations that support jazz musicians, educators, and students. Mr. Armstrong, iconic trumpeter and singer, is the foundation of jazz and of American musical virtuosity in the 20th Century. His earliest recordings taught musicians how to improvise and sing jazz, blues, the American Popular Song and all styles of American vernacular music. His discoveries gave listeners around the world a new way to experience music, and his way of “being natural” in public created another understanding of what it meant to be human. Pops, his nickname which was also the name he called everyone, was a man of the people and all walks of life were given a seat of welcome at his and Lucille’s table. In addition to his legendary artistry, he established this foundation to ensure that future generations would be taught to play and appreciate the art of jazz.
For more information on how to support LAEF and to shop at The Wonderful Store of Louis Armstrong for these and other items, please visit www.louisarmstrongfoundation.org.
All 3.25 inches in diameter, the red and green ornaments feature the iconic slogan What a Wonderful World™ while the white ones showcase a photo of Armstrong. They sell individually for $8.00 or all three for $20.00. The ornaments are available on the LAEF website for pre-order now and will ship on, or around, November 19.
The new, 13-track tribute CD, A Gift to Pops, released Friday, October 15 in conjunction with LAEF and Verve Records, also makes a great gift for family and friends. It is a swinging and sensational reimagining of Armstrong-associated songs performed by an impressive assemblage of predominately New Orleans musicians, The Wonderful World™ of Louis Armstrong All Stars. The personnel includes pianists Courtney Bryan and Davell Crawford, bassist Reginald Veal, banjo virtuoso Donald Vappie, trumpeter Ashlin Parker, tenor saxophonist Roderick Paulin, drummer/vocalist Herlin Riley, vocalists Niki Haris and Menia Chester, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, and trumpeters Wendell Brunious and Nicholas Payton. Special guests include guitarist Derwin, “Big D” Perkins, the celebrated Chicago rapper Common and the multi award-winning trumpeter and President of LAEF, Wynton Marsalis.
Far from being a repertory recording, this disc offers dynamic interpretations of songs that Armstrong recorded, with a modern twist. As the impresario George Wein wrote in the liner notes, “… With this recording, this music of Louis Armstrong demonstrates how he created the language of jazz and influenced all the music that followed – from swing to bebop and even to rap, as demonstrated by Common. But there’s one thing for sure: This band and record demonstrate that there was nothing common about Louis Armstrong.”
Armstrong said that he was “here in the cause of happiness,” and these two offerings, the What A Wonderful World™ ornaments and A Gift to Pops, are excellent extensions of his noble mission.
About the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation:
Founded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation funds organizations that support jazz musicians, educators, and students. Mr. Armstrong, iconic trumpeter and singer, is the foundation of jazz and of American musical virtuosity in the 20th Century. His earliest recordings taught musicians how to improvise and sing jazz, blues, the American Popular Song and all styles of American vernacular music. His discoveries gave listeners around the world a new way to experience music, and his way of “being natural” in public created another understanding of what it meant to be human. Pops, his nickname which was also the name he called everyone, was a man of the people and all walks of life were given a seat of welcome at his and Lucille’s table. In addition to his legendary artistry, he established this foundation to ensure that future generations would be taught to play and appreciate the art of jazz.
For more information on how to support LAEF and to shop at The Wonderful Store of Louis Armstrong for these and other items, please visit www.louisarmstrongfoundation.org.
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