Satchmo SummerFest

What began seven years ago as a commemoration of the centennial of the birth of Louis Armstrong evolved into such a stunningly successful event that it became an annual event.

Satchmo SummerFest 2008 will take place from Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, August 3, with most of the entertainment on the grounds of the Old U.S. Mint. As in past years, it will feature live music by local musicians in the Satchmo jazz tradition, plus food, drinks, artworks and crafts. However, it is also an educational opportunity for music scholars as well, with seminars, group discussions and tours of the city’s historic musical sites.

Those attending Satchmo SummerFest are also encouraged to tour the museum inside the Old U.S. Mint, which includes the most complete and comprehensive collection of jazz memorabilia in the world. Including an old trumpet that once belonged to Armstrong himself!

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901. By the time of his death 70 years later, he had completely revolutionized the musical entertainment industry.

One of the most dynamic personalities of the 20th century, Armstrong almost single-handedly transformed jazz into the popular musical art form it is today. With his trademark solos, his gravelly voice and numerous other stylistic innovations, he became a recording industry superstar and a movie star, as well, playing himself and his horn with a broad, infectious grin. He was a goodwill ambassador for his country for much of his adult life, traveling widely and introducing American jazz to the world.

Over the years, Satchmo SummerFest has evolved into what one visiting music writer called “a mini-JazzFest.” With three days of outdoor concerts, music history seminars, jazz exhibits, a jazz mass, a second-line parade and plenty of local food delicacies and drinks, the festival has become a travelers’, as well as a local, favorite. Nearly all of the participating musicians are New Orleans-based. There is even a fun-filled “Satchmo Strut” down nearby Frenchmen Street, taking in most of the nightclubs in the city’s preeminent live music district, and an art show featuring works that portray Satchmo or a jazz-related theme at the Crescent City Brewhouse on Decatur Street..

The Old U.S. Mint is opposite the French Market at Barracks Street and Esplanade Avenue. For the most up-to-date information on Satchmo SummerFest, including an event and music schedule, call French Quarter Festivals, Inc. at 504-522-5730 or log onto www.satchmosummerfest.com.