Description
Andrew Gurruwiwi leads the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band in what they call 'Yolŋu funk', a mix between reggae, heavy metal, and funk in language from across the region. Andrew tells us about his music-making, his career as a radio presenter, and explains the stories behind some of the tracks on the band's dynamic debut album, Sing Your Own Song.
"He basically invents the rules of jazz. He shows you 'this is how to play a solo, this is how to sing, this is how to phrase, this is how to tell a story, this is how to swing. Ok, this is jazz. And now I'm going to break all those rules.'" - Ricky Riccardi on Louis Armstrong
Towards the end of the 1960s Louis Armstrong's performances were hit-and-miss. Plagued by health issues and pushing 70, the veteran entertainer was determined to keep playing, singing and touring, despite calls from his doctors to slow down. But in 1968, with a burst of vitality, he performed for BBC TV with hits spanning his remarkable five decades in music. This included What A Wonderful World, a song that had made him a household name just weeks prior. The concert recording of Armstrong's "last great performance" has been rediscovered, and now released as live album Louis In London. Ricky Riccardi is Director of Research Collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and joins Andy to talk about the great trumpeter and why we're still talking about him over 50 years after his death.
You can hear the Louis In London album in full on ABC Jazz program Jazztrack Live this Saturday 20 July at 4pm.
Music heard in the program:
Title: A Kiss To Build A Dream On
Composer: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein II
Artist: Louis Armstrong
Album: Louis In London
Label: Verve 602465686128
Title: Bare Necessities
Composer: Bruce Reitherman and Phil Harris
Artist: Louis Armstrong
Album: Louis In London
Label: Verve 602465686128
Title: When It's Sleepy Time Down South
Composer: Clarence Muse, Leon René and Otis René
Artist: Louis Armstrong
Album: Louis In London
Label: Verve 602465686128
Title: Gatjumak (Dance Battle), Go To Sleep (The Legend of Ŋamini Baŋ Baŋ), Wata Mäwi
Composer: Andrew Gurruwiwi
Artist: Andrew Gurruwiwi Band
Album: Sing Your Own Song
Label: Gaga Music
Technical production by Simon Branthwaite
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