Struttin' with Some Barbecue: Lil Hardin Armstrong Becomes the First Lady of Jazz

by Patricia Hruby Powell, Rachel Himes (Illustrator)

Overview

Lil Hardin and her man, Louis Armstrong, were musical royalty—inventing a new kind of sound—makin' jazz. Believe it, baby!

This is the true story of Lil Hardin Armstrong: pianist, composer, and bandleader in the early days of jazz. Ahead of her time, Lil made a career for herself—and for Louis Armstrong, her modest, unassuming husband. Louis might never have become the groundbreaking jazz player he was, if it hadn't been for Lil. Scat-inspired verse celebrates how Lil overcame race and gender barriers to become the first lady of the Chicago jazz scene.

"Brimming with a contagious love of jazz and its first lady, this work brings down the house"—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580897402
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	12/11/2018
Edition description:	Illustrate
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell grew up in a musical family, became a concert dancer and choreographer, and married a jazz musician. When she hears Lil's music, she can't help but dance. Patricia's debut book, Josephine, received a Sibert Honor and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. Her equally moving and powerful second book, Loving vs. Virginia, established Patricia as a commanding voice in children's literature.

Rachel Himes is a museum educator, author, and illustrator. Her debut picture book, Princess and the Peas, puts a modern African American spin on the classic fairy tale. In Struttin' with Some Barbecue, Rachel conveys Lil's energy and verve through acrylic and collage illustrations inspired by period art and music. www.rachelhimes.com

Read an Excerpt

Starting in 1898
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Struttin' with Some Barbecue"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Patricia Hruby Powell.
Excerpted by permission of Charlesbridge.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

♦ Lil Hardin, dubbed "the first lady of jazz," gets a loving ode in this biography in free verse. Raised by "Mama and Grandma / in Memphis, Tennessee, / two blocks from / wild, wailin' Beale Street," Lil was a precocious musician from childhood. But the night life of Beale Street with its "devil's music" pulled her away from the proper, ladylike college life her mother wanted for her. She got a job at a music store and then won a place in an all-male band, an exceptional feat at the time. She met Louis Armstrong, a shy trumpet player, when they played in the same band. She told him he couldn't stay playing second trumpet and was behind much of his success. "Dang, they were musical royalty— / inventing / a new kind of sound— / makin' / jazz." As she earlier demonstrated in Josephine (illustrated by Christian Robinson, 2014), Powell is a die-hard fan of jazz, and it shows in the hum of her lines. She writes in her introduction that she hopes this biography inspires readers "to explore early jazz—and makes you want to get up and dance." On both counts, her writing succeeds. Himes' ink-and-graphite illustrations are inspired by the time period and add to the immersive feel of the work. Brimming with a contagious love of jazz and its first lady, this work brings down the house. (notes, timeline, glossary, resources, sources, index)
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

This biography in verse tells the story of Lil Hardin Armstrong, the first lady of jazz and Louis Armstrong’s first wife. While the book starts with Hardin Armstrong’s birth, most of the text focuses on her time as a jazz pianist in the 1920s and her influential role in Louis Armstrong’s success. The poetry is free form and peppered with bits of scat as an ode to early jazz, and it works well as a vehicle to tell the story of such a strong figure in this movement. Hardin Armstrong’s life is compelling, and readers will be inspired by her perseverance and rise to success in a male-dominated field and in the face of segregation. However, details about her life are less realized than in a typical biography partly because of the book’s lyrical format. Thankfully Powell includes a variety of back matter including more information on Hardin Armstrong, jazz music, and the rise of jazz clubs in the 1920s. The charming illustrations nicely enhance the text. VERDICT Recommended for most libraries, especially where biographies circulate well.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

11/01/2018

Gr 3–6—This biography in verse tells the story of Lil Hardin Armstrong, the first lady of jazz and Louis Armstrong's first wife. While the book starts with Hardin Armstrong's birth, most of the text focuses on her time as a jazz pianist in the 1920s and her influential role in Louis Armstrong's success. The poetry is free form and peppered with bits of scat as an ode to early jazz, and it works well as a vehicle to tell the story of such a strong figure in this movement. Hardin Armstrong's life is compelling, and readers will be inspired by her perseverance and rise to success in a male-dominated field and in the face of segregation. However, details about her life are less realized than in a typical biography partly because of the book's lyrical format. Thankfully Powell includes a variety of back matter including more information on Hardin Armstrong, jazz music, and the rise of jazz clubs in the 1920s. The charming illustrations nicely enhance the text. VERDICT Recommended for most libraries, especially where biographies circulate well.—Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2018-09-30

Lil Hardin, dubbed "the first lady of jazz," gets a loving ode in this biography in free verse.

Raised by "Mama and Grandma / in Memphis, Tennessee, / two blocks from / wild, wailin' Beale Street," Lil was a precocious musician from childhood. But the night life of Beale Street with its "devil's music" pulled her away from the proper, ladylike college life her mother wanted for her. She got a job at a music store and then won a place in an all-male band, an exceptional feat at the time. She met Louis Armstrong, a shy trumpet player, when they played in the same band. She told him he couldn't stay playing second trumpet and was behind much of his success. "Dang, they were musical royalty— / inventing / a new kind of sound— / makin' / jazz." As she earlier demonstrated in Josephine (illustrated by Christian Robinson, 2014), Powell is a die-hard fan of jazz, and it shows in the hum of her lines. She writes in her introduction that she hopes this biography inspires readers "to explore early jazz—and makes you want to get up and dance." On both counts, her writing succeeds. Himes' ink-and-graphite illustrations are inspired by the time period and add to the immersive feel of the work.

Brimming with a contagious love of jazz and its first lady, this work brings down the house. (notes, timeline, glossary, resources, sources, index) (Verse biography. 8-14)

Kirkus Reviews