The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician.

Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to "cross over" whose skin-color was secondary to his music in an America that was severely racially divided. Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 – July 6 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans Louisiana. With his instantly-recognizable gravelly voice Armstrong was also an influential singer demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes.