Beschreibung:

ARMSTRONG, LOUIS. Typed letter signed ("Louis Armstrong") to the trumpetist Chris Clufetos, Paramount Theatre, Portland, Oregon, 6 February 1954, 2 pages, 4to, on Armstrong's personal stationery printed with his nickname "Satchmo," with original stamped envelope , 8 minor additions or corrections in ink---WITH A GLOSSY PHOTOGRAPH OF ARMSTRONG, issued by the Associated Booking Corp., [ ca . 1960-65], 257 x 205 mm. (10 1/16 x 8 1/16 in.) , INSCRIBED BY ARMSTRONG to Clufetos. "OUR MUSIC IS A SECRET ORDER" An ebullient letter to a fellow devotee of jazz. Chris Clufetos, a musician from Detroit, was generously rewarded for a fan letter to Armstrong with this anecdotal tribute to the "greatest music on this man's earth". Armstrong's fondness for ellipses, apostrophes and commas, and his very particular use of the typewriter give his syntax a pleasantly syncopated quality: "'Man, - you haven't the least idea - how thrilled, I am, to be able to sit down and write to a 'Cat, who feels the same way that 'I do about the greatest music on this man's earth,---DIXIELAND... 'Lawd-today...'Gate---you're a man after my own heart... I've always said---Dixieland is Universal... From one end of the earth to the other--the music's the same, so help me..... "I'll never forget the time when my All Stars and I landed in Italy and there was a little Jazz-Dixieland band standing there 'justa 'whaling Muskrat Ramble...And the sign over their talented little heads read like this------WELCOME TO ROME--Louis Armstrong and his All Stars...From the Romon New Orleans Jazz Band.... Which 'Gassed Ol, Satch and his boys, no end... They were swinging the tune so well and relaxed, until, it made anyone of us, want to get some of it in the worst way...Tee Hee... "Four days later, after we finished our concert one night, we went out to the little trumpet players home...And after 'lorating a whole lots of that very very good Italian Spaghetti (wee) - myself and two - three of my boys - sat in with the little fine band and blew up a storm [...] Which again, makes my word come true, especially when I said - music is, er, wa, - Universal..... You yourself - could have done the same...Because, from the way that I dugged your very fine letter, - you take your horn serious the same as 'I do.... God Bless Ya Son [...] And every country that we travel into, our music was the same... So you see in case you'd decide to make a tour to anywhere in the world, have no fear because our music (I'd say) is more of a Secret Order [...] real honest to goodness dixieland music will live for ever - without a doubt... There was a certain big time musician, who made a nasty crack, as to, Dixieland Music, is 'first grade music... Now - maybe you dont pick up on this Cat...But, I, being in the game for over forty years, etc, can easily see, that this young man who said it, the reason why he said it because he hasn't the soul enough to express himself in dixie land music like he really would like to... So, he'll say those slurring words knowing that the country's full of idiots (also) who will believe him for a while, thinking that there really is such things as to different grades of music for the world to abide by [...] Where I came from, there weren't but two kinds of music, - good or bad [...] Anyway my friend...Don't let no one change your mind...Play the music that your heart tells you to play...There will always be somebody to gladly live it with you... I am very happy to have met you [...] So I'll close now... I have a pretty schedule before me for tomorrow... I'm to make an appearance on a TV tomorrow morning real--early, with my clarinet man-Barney Bigard...Cooking some of our real fine Creole dishes for these Oregan Fans, sorta, have 'em, lickin their fingers, Tee Hee...There'll be some red beans and rice on the program..And that's for sure... So give a hello to your musicians, and our fans...And until we meet (which) I'll be looking forward to, - take em slow...And as I said '