Луи Армстронг. Американский гений

To the Russian edition Jazz was born in New Orleans between 1900 and 1910. Eighty years after its birth, it acquired the status of an international language that has become loved and understood throughout the world. Of course, each nation has its own “dialect” of this language: Soviet jazz developed in other ways than German, and that, in turn, acquired features that were different from the American style. In general, one can notice that the farther east jazz goes, the more acquisitions it finds on its way. Despite the fact that wonderful avant-garde jazz sounds in the United States today, its traditional forms still occupy a stronger position here than in the countries of Eastern Europe. It is my hope that this book will encourage Soviet jazz lovers and professional musicians to realize the great value of the oldest jazz traditions. We do not part with the chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach, the poetry of Alexander Pushkin and the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci just because they are hundreds of years old, we continue to discover great meaning in them. The best works of Louis Armstrong are now about fifty years old, but they have such power over us and touch us as if they were created today. I hope that readers who have not yet been overwhelmed by the magnitude of Armstrong's gift will want to experience it. There are only a few ways in the world to communicate as internationally as jazz. After all, music is understandable to all people of the earth. Let us hope together that it will weave strong bonds that unite peoples. James Lincoln Collier. New York, 1986