Remember: It’s A Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong festival celebrates life, and Queens

The Louis Armstrong House Museum is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of Louis Armstrong’s evergreen song, “What A Wonderful World” with performances, lectures and workshops throughout Queens, NY, Armstrong’s home of choice.

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong was already a wealthy superstar when he moved to Queens. “He could have lived in an estate on Long Island or on Park Avenue, but this was the only house has he ever owned,” said David Ostwald, a musician who chairs the Museum’s Board. The house in home not only to Armstrong memorabilia, but holds lectures, concerts and provides research material for jazz devotees. 20,000 visitors through the Museum every year, from all over the world, including both governmental and music royalty like Eric Clapton and Elvis Costello.

The 50^th “What a Wonderful World” Anniversary, a partnership between the Armstrong Museum, the Queens Library, the Kupferberg Center for the Arts and the Department of Cultural Affairs offers over dozens of events in the month of June, one in each of Queens’ 63 libraries. Concerts, exhibits, pop-up concerts and lectures on Louis Armstrong by Armstrong experts—in English and Spanish—and, of course, performances of the titular song.

“The thing that’s cool about Queens is that in terms of culturally it is the most diverse Borough,” Ostwald told Elmore. “In Queens College there are 162 different nationalities. You could save so much money not traveling the world, you just go to Queens, and if you have a 30 day Unlimited Pass, it’s free.”

Organized by Jeff Rosenstock, Kupferberg Center’s Executive Director, the “It’s a Wonderful World” ongoing event is a great opportunity to enjoy music and learn more about one of America’s great heroes, for free. “With Louis Armstrong, if he’d only been a great musician, it would have been enough,” said Ostwald, “but he was also a great humanitarian and I think people are starting to realize that. Armstrong carried around two rolls of hundred-dollar bills, $1,000 in each pocket. One was to give away, and the other was to do whatever he wanted. That was a lot of money in that those days,” Ostwald said. “It’s a lot of money now.”

Also a Civil Rights pioneer, Armstrong put his career on the line when he took President Dwight Eisenhower to task for not enforcing Integration in Arkansas schools. Ike folded, and Armstrong sent him a telegram. “If you decide to walk into the schools with the little colored kids, take me along, Daddy,” he wired the President. “God bless you.”

Though this is a major special event, the Louis Armstrong Museum continues to grow, fulfilling its main mission of education, especially with kids. Ostwald put it succinctly: “The more people who learn about Louis Armstrong, the straighter their heads will be.”