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Louis lived in James Alley, as
he mentioned in "Satchmo my life in New Orleans, but it was really Jane Alley.
Louis was 11 years old
when he fired a pistol to celebrate the New Year's Day
1913. After this incident he came to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. It was
there that he learned to play the cornet.
The cornet was not his first instrument. he started with the tambourine and than
got a snare drum. After playing the alto horn and bugel he finally got his first
cornet.8
Keila Dawson, family of Eddie Lawson, send me some mail, with stories about
Louis being in Chicago.
When Louis
Armstrong moved to Chicago, he would get homesick and go to the home where my
mom (Marjorie
Dawson)
lived with her
godmother (Armantine
Calalang)
for a plate of
red beans and rice, a local comfort food from New Orleans. Like Louis, and my
mom, many Louisianans moved to Chicago so they could work without the hassle of
living in the deep south. Yes, sometimes he brought his horn.
Information send
through email by Keila Dawson
Armantine
Calalang husband’s first name was Calliope. Family members called her
Nanaan. Everyone else, including Louis knew her as “Tina”. So here are more
Louis Armstrong stories from my mom who moved to Chicago in the 30’s to live
with Nanaan. His favorite meal he would request is the Red Beans and Rice with
pané veal chops. My Nanaan taught my mom to cook this same meal and she taught
me so didn’t know I’m using the same recipe Louis Armstrong loved! The other
meal he requested was smothered pork chops with a short brown gravy and onions.
Louis would always bring a watermelon to my Nanaan’s home for dessert when she
made dinner for him.
A little more history. Armantine or Tina (Nanaan) moved to
Chicago in the late 20’s, early 30’s. One of Armantine’s daughters dated Earl
Hines, the pianist. They would stay for after parties when the musicians had
gigs at Club Delissa. Mom said the club closed about 2am and they would stay.
Louis Armstrong was at one of these parties and met Nanaan’s daughters. Mom said
when Louis met someone from New Orleans, he would always ask, “Home girl, who’s
your parents?” When they told him Armantine Clemento, he got excited because
they were childhood friends. Mom said as a child Louis lived a few blocks from
where Nanaan lived in New Orleans. Louis was sent to a boy’s home because he got
caught stealing. She mentioned his family was very poor and Louie would steal
milk and food.
So Louis called her asks her to cook some of his favorite
meals for him. And so the tradition began. Mom said he and Nanaan would spend a
lot of time just talking about the ‘old days’. She can remember one day when he
was there, while eating and saying in his low voice, “Tina this is good.” Mom
says he was a really nice man and a good friend. When in town Louie would call
Nanaan just to say hi, and no need to cook because he was in town just a couple
days.
Another good friend of theirs was Lawrence Brown who played
the trombone in Duke Ellington’s band. Sometimes the band members would come
over after playing to have parties at my Nanaan’s home. We visited Chicago often
growing up and stayed in this same house as a child and didn’t know it was quite
the party house!!
One more story. Mom and her cousins (Nanaan’s daughters) knew
the girlfriend of Count Bassie. He heard from Louie about this woman who cooked
New Orleans food for him. So he got his girlfriend to tell mom’s cousins that
although he was from Kansas City, he too would enjoy some red beans and rice!
Mom (born in 1919) is 89 and sharp as a tack.
Sources
(internet):
Sources (brassband
history):
8
Louis
Armstrong's New Orleans by Thomas Brothers
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