ODE TO LOUIS ARMSTRONG

His golden horn a gleaming,

Beads of sweat glisten on his brow,

As he begins to build his solo,

A listener utters Wow!

The audience sit listening spellbound,

This sound they’ve never heard.

The rhythm Section providing support ,

As he soars just like a bird.

His tone so pure and beautiful,

The volume high but not loud.

People gasp in amazement,

As He now plays to the crowd.

Weaving his way through the changes,

Like a man walking a High wire.

Changing the rhythm, changing the time,

And the pitch goes higher and higher.

Glissandos and Falls one after another,

High Register sustained so long.

The Audience erupts in applause,

He’s now back to the Theme of the song.

There’s more to this man than ‘Hello dolly’,

Though that’s what he’s remembered for.

To me this is sheer folly,

It’s his playing that fills ME with awe!

This man is truly amazing,

In our Hearts he will live long.

Unequalled, unrivalled , peerless,

This man is…Louis Armstrong!

by Ian White  ©

    Ode to Louise Armstrong       click play button for streaming audio