Overview, Reviews, Accolades, & More	14
Book Excerpt	15

Salon Magazine

One of the most symbolic, beguiling moments in Laurence Bergreen's elegant new biography of Louis Armstrong catches the trumpeter on his first day with Harlem's Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. Fresh from wild Chicago, raised in wilder New Orleans, Armstrong's brand of jazz was a fierce, chartless impulse; Henderson's high-tone players, on the other hand, worked from sheet music that was detailed down to dynamic markings. And when Armstrong took off blaring, instead of playing pianissimo as demanded by the chart in front of him, Henderson stopped the band to ask, “Louis, how about that pp?” The great Satchmo joked, “Oh, I thought that meant 'pound plenty.'” Bergreen's book reads like that set-up must have sounded – a loud, hilarious Armstrong solo thrusting out of a suave Henderson narrative structure. Bergreen is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, and it shows...
– Sarah Vowel

---

Accolades

· Publishers Weekly “Best Books of 1997”
· Booklist “Editor’s Choice 1997”
· Salon Magazine “Favorite Biographies of the Year, 1997” – First Choice
· San Francisco Chronicle “Best Books of 1997”
· Seattle Times “Best Popular Music Book of 1997”
· Philadelphia Inquirer “Best Books of 1997”
· Minneapolis Star Tribune “Best Books of 1997”
· Cincinnati Enquirer “1997’s Top Page-Turners”
· St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Best Books of 1997”
· Boston Phoenix  “Best Books of 1997” – First Choice, Nonfiction
· USA Today “Best Books of 1997”
· Finalist, Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award

Plus: Over 50 television and radio interviews, including “Good Morning America”, “Fresh Air,” “Weekend Edition,” and “All Things Considered”.

---

Interviews & Reviews

NPR's Weekend Edition: Scott Simon Talks with Bergreen. July, 1997 (RealAudio File)
NPR's Weekend Edition: Transcript of the Interview
The Beatrice Interview
Salon.com Review
Random House Author Interview

More Information

Bergreen's Random House Page
Also Available as a Book on Tape