West End Blues

The song “West End Blues,” sung by Louis Armstrong and the hot five (in the year of 1928) is a beautiful composition that I feel truly emulates the spirit of jazz. The trumpet solo at the beginning of the piece is upbeat and immediately grabs the attention of the listener. It also shows how Armstrong influences the song by adding the solo that reflects his unique personality as an artist. The flow of the verses after the introduction I feel is an example of authentic jazz. The song is slow and relaxing. The trumpet is very prevalent in this piece, and stands out against the other instruments. The numerous amount of instruments however create a multilayered melody that adds dimension to the song. I believe that the instruments sing for themselves and the song is complete without the use of any lyrics. I do think that Armstrong’s use of scatting really sets this song over the top. It adds another unique element to the song. You can hear the influences of the time period and southern culture through the scatting and instrumentals alone. The scatting I believe is Armstrong’s way of free expression. He did not need to use typical words, but just sang in a tone of carefree humming. Armstrong I think wants his listeners to feel the same way while listening to this song, to feel a sense of happiness and peace. He believed that music could be used as an escape from the worries and troubles of the world.