The Legacy of Lillian Hardin Armstrong

In 2020, I published A Map of Jazz: Crossroads of Music and Human Rights (WS Publishing), a book that looks at the culture of jazz on a timeline with cultures of the world. At more than 500 pages, the book is incomplete by necessity; there is no well-marked path, and the history is sometimes nebulous. However, as a map and as jazz music, it leads to unfamiliar places. The series Backstories dives deeper into people and places along the genre's blue highways.

Lil Hardin Armstrong—born Lillian Hardin, was a pivotal figure in the early jazz era, serving as a pianist, composer, bandleader, and the driving force behind Louis Armstrong's rise to fame. An exceptionally talented musician in her own right, she played a decisive role in shaping the Chicago jazz scene of the 1920s and was instrumental in encouraging her then-husband, Armstrong, to break away from sideman roles and become a leading soloist. Hardin put her personal ambitions second to guiding Armstrong's career, but resumed her solo career when the pair split in 1931.

Early Life and Musical Influences

Hardin was born on February 3, 1898, in Memphis, Tennessee. Her mother, a churchgoing daughter of slaves, initially disapproved of secular music, preferring that her daughter focus on classical piano. However, Hardin was drawn to the blues and ragtime she heard in Memphis, a city renowned for its deep African American musical traditions. At the age of six, she began taking piano lessons, and by her teens, she was playing at church and school events. After her family moved to Chicago in 1917, she enrolled at Fisk University's music school, where she refined her classical training. (She earned her PhD from the New York College of Music in 1929.) But the jazz scene in Chicago soon captured her attention, and she began playing in clubs, adapting her classical technique to the syncopated rhythms of jazz.

By 1920, Hardin was a sought-after pianist in Chicago, working with bands such as Sugar Johnny's Creole Orchestra and the New Orleans Creole Jazz Band. Hardin found her first major professional opportunity with Lawrence Duhe's band, a New Orleans-style jazz ensemble. Duhé was performing at the famed De Luxe Café in Chicago when Hardin joined as a pianist. The group was known for its energetic, blues-infused sound, and Hardin quickly became an integral part of its performances. Her time with Duhé's band was short-lived, as King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band soon took over the De Luxe Café's spot, absorbing several of Duhé's musicians, including Hardin. It marked a defining point in her career. The band was one of the most respected and influential early jazz ensembles, renowned for introducing authentic New Orleans jazz to a broader Chicago audience. Hardin's exceptional piano playing and stage presence brought a level of sophistication to the group, as she was one of the few musicians in the band with formal music training.

Meeting Louis Armstrong

Hardin met the young Armstrong when he arrived from New Orleans and joined Oliver's band as second cornetist in 1922. He was still developing his signature style, but even then, his raw talent was evident. During this period, historical assessments of young Armstrong highlight his rapid growth, technical skill, and emerging creativity. While Oliver was the star and first cornetist, Armstrong's improvisational skills and powerful tone began to stand out. Even before Armstrong himself, Hardin recognized his potential and encouraged him to develop his style rather than remain in King Oliver's shadow.

Hardin encouraged Armstrong to enhance his reading skills and broaden his musical knowledge. Their professional relationship soon turned personal, and they married in 1924; Hardin becoming the second of four Armstrong wives. It was the same year that Armstrong would join Fletcher Henderson's orchestra, gaining national exposure. Where Oliver's method to improvisation was of the constrained ensemble style, Henderson's more open approach allowed Armstrong to grow and flourish.

One year later, Okeh Records invited Armstrong to assemble a small group for studio recordings. With Hardin's help and direction, the Armstrongs organized their famous Hot Five and Hot Seven groups (1925-1928), which produced groundbreaking jazz records, including "Heebie Jeebies" and "West End Blues." She composed several pieces for these sessions, including "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" and "Skip the Gutter," showcasing her skill as a songwriter. The groups, along with Hardin on piano and Armstrong on cornet, featured Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo (Hot Fives). The Hot Sevens added drummer Baby Dodds and Pete Briggs on tuba.

The Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings were revolutionary for the era. The groups further elevated solo improvisation with Armstrong's solos in tracks like "Cornet Chop Suey" (1926) and "West End Blues" (1928), which showcased his virtuosity and set a new standard for jazz improvisation. But Hardin added to the inventiveness with her playing as well. Hardin provided essential rhythmic and harmonic support as a skilled pianist and composer while also taking solos, showcasing her improvisational talent. Her playing on classics like "Hotter Than That" and her own "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" featured inventive melodic lines and syncopated phrasing that reflect her deep understanding of early jazz improvisation. Her composition, "Two Deuces," highlights her skill in crafting complex yet accessible jazz arrangements. While her style was more structured than the freewheeling improvisations of later jazz pianists, her contributions were harmonically sophisticated and creatively responsive to the ensemble. Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie were among the artists who cited the Hot Five and Hot Seven as significant inspirations.

The Post-Armstrong Years

Hardin had to work hard at getting Armstrong out of his own way. The laid-back cornetist would likely have faced more challenges if it hadn't been for Hardin's ambition. As a formidable artist in her own right, it was no surprise that she began to focus on her career once again. She participated in jazz revivals in the 1950s and 1960s, recording and performing traditional jazz. She played at the 1961 Newport Jazz Festival and appeared on television programs celebrating early jazz. She led her bands, including Lil Hardin Armstrong and Her Swing Orchestra, and continued performing into the 1960s. She also earned a degree in music education, teaching younger generations about jazz. In 1962, Hardin began working on her unfinished autobiography. She passed away in Chicago on August 27, 1971, during a televised performance paying tribute to Armstrong, who had died a month earlier. In a footnote to Hardin's life, seven years after her death, one of her compositions topped the global pop charts when Ringo Starr recorded her composition "Bad Boy" in 1978.

References

• Bergreen, L. (1997). Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life. Broadway Books.
• Brothers, T. (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Giddins, G. (2001). Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong. Da Capo Press.
• Harker, B. (2011). Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings. Oxford University Press.
• Teachout, T. (2009). Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Comments