PROJECT TOPIC:
Louis Armstrong’s 1929 recording of “(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue”
DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT CONTENTS:
1. Begin your essay by describing how Armstrong’s 1929 interpretation of the”(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue” illustrates the characteristics of Jazz in the 1920s. (1 of 3 pages)
2. Compare the original version of the song (i.e., as performed within “Hot Chocolates”) with Armstrong’s rendition. This will involve both considering the alterations Armstrong made to the form and text, as well as its removal from the original dramatic situation. (1 of 3 pages)
3. Place Armstrong’s 1929 recording within the larger framework of his position on racism in the US (and elsewhere). In your opinion, was/is Armstrong an effective advocate for racial tolerance and equality? Why or why not? (1 of 3 pages)
