| FWIW, that orphanage in South Carolina also produced Jabbo Smith and Buddy Aiken, two under appreciated jazz trumpet greats in the generation between Armstrong and Cat Anderson...and that's just a couple of names of guys who came out of there and ended up in New York recording with Fletcher Henderson, et al. There were probably lots of others who stayed in the southeast and remain obscure to history.
Obviously, something was being taught in that orphanage by someone that produced solid young trumpet players. The idea that players are born not made is generally BS. Jazz mythology rears its ugly head.
Armstrong not only learned a lot from his teachers. He also learned a lot from being "apprenticed" to King Oliver, Kid Rene, etc. |