In 1924
Louis Armstrong moved to New York to play with the Fletcher Henderson
Orchestra, the leading African-American band of the moment. Because of
this, Armstrong changed to the trumpet to harmonize better with the other
musicians of his orchestral section. During this time, he also made many
recordings independently with the arrangements of an old friend from New
Orleans, the pianist Clarence Williams, such as a pair with his musical rival Sidney Bechet and a series of accompaniments with the
Blues singers. His virtuosity in
improvisation exerted a great influence on New York jazz musicians.
