Editing Louis Armstrong (section)

===Horn playing and early jazz===
[[File:Selmer Trumpet given by King George V to Louis Armstrong.jpg|thumb|right|[[Henri Selmer Paris|Selmer]] trumpet, given as a gift by [[King George V]] of the United Kingdom to Louis Armstrong in 1933]]
In his early years, Armstrong was best known for his virtuosity with the cornet and trumpet. Along with his "clarinet-like figurations and high notes in his cornet solos", Armstrong was also known for his "intense rhythmic 'swing', a complex conception involving accented upbeats, upbeat to downbeat slurring, and complementary relations among rhythmic patterns.<ref>{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Harker |first=Brian Cameron |date=1997 |title=The early musical development of Louis Armstrong, 1901–1928 |publisher=Columbia University |id={{ProQuest|304443911}} }}</ref> The most lauded recordings on which Armstrong plays trumpet include the [[Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions|Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions]], as well as those of the [[Red Onion Jazz Babies]]. Armstrong's improvisations, while unconventionally sophisticated for that era, were also subtle and highly melodic. The solo that Armstrong plays during the song "[[Potato Head Blues]]" has long been considered his best solo of that series.<ref name="bergreen7"/><ref>Lynn Rene Bayley, "More Jazz: 'Louis Armstrong{{snd}}The Early Years." ''Fanfare{{snd}}The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors''. 09 2008: 408–410. ProQuest. Web. July 14, 2016.</ref>

Prior to Armstrong, most collective ensembles playing in jazz, along with its occasional solos, simply varied the melodies of the songs. He was virtually the first to create significant variations based on the chord harmonies of the songs instead of merely on the melodies. This opened a rich field for creation and improvisation, and significantly changed the music into a soloist's art form.<ref name="bergreen7"/>

Often, Armstrong re-composed pop tunes he played, simply with variations that made them more compelling to jazz listeners of the era. At the same time, Armstrong's oeuvre includes many original melodies, creative leaps, and relaxed or driving rhythms. His playing technique, honed by constant practice, extended the range, tone, and capabilities of the trumpet. In his records, Armstrong almost single-handedly created the role of the jazz soloist, taking what had been essentially a piece of collective folk music and turning it into an art form with tremendous possibilities for individual expression.<ref name="bergreen7"/>

Armstrong was one of the first artists to use recordings of his performances to improve himself. Armstrong was an avid audiophile. He had a large collection of recordings, including reel-to-reel tapes, which he took on the road with him in a trunk during his later career. Armstrong enjoyed listening to his own recordings, and comparing his performances musically. In the den of his home, Armstrong had the latest audio equipment and would sometimes rehearse and record along with his older recordings or the radio.<ref>Michael Cogswell, ''Louis Armstrong: The Offstage Story of Satchmo'' (Collector's Press, [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], Oregon, 2003) {{ISBN|1888054816}} pp. 66–68.</ref>