We talk with author Ricky Riccardi about how Louis Armstrong became the first Black pop star and provided the foundation of improvisation for other musicians. Riccardi's book is Stomp Off, Let's Go. Also, we hear from Atlantic writer Derek Thompson. He's done a deep dive into our nation's loneliness epidemic and how our phones have become a barrier to real human connection.Critic-at-large John Powers reviews the Brazilian film I'm Still Here. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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From WHYY in Philadelphia, I'm Tanya Mosley with Fresh Air Weekend. Today, how Louis Armstrong became the first Black pop star and provided the foundation of improvisation for other musicians.
You can name a million great vocalists and a million great instrumentalists, and Armstrong's the only person who totally changed the way people sang, and he totally changed the way people soloed and played music on their instruments.
We talk with Ricky Riccardi, author of Stomp Off, Let's Go, The Early Years of Louis Armstrong. And we also hear from writer Derek Thompson. He's done a deep dive into our nation's loneliness epidemic and how our phones have become a barrier to real human connection. His recent article in The Atlantic is called The Antisocial Century.
Also, critic-at-large John Powers reviews the Brazilian film I'm Still Here. That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.
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This is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Tanya Mosley. Terry has our first interview. I'll let her introduce it. Here's a question for you.
Who do you think was the first Black pop star? The answer is Louis Armstrong, according to one of the leading experts on Armstrong's life and music, my guest, Ricky Riccardi. He's just published his third book about Armstrong.
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