Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of Louis Armstrong
By Steven Brower
256 pages; Abrams

He had a voice like a cat's tongue, scratchy and warm as the music he made with his trumpet. And, surprisingly, Satchmo—that is, the fabulous Louis Armstrong—had a way with yet another instrument: a pair of scissors. Between sets, he snipped words and images from ads and greeting cards, letters, telegraphs, and photos of friends and fans, then pasted them into jazzy, colorful collages. Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of Louis Armstrong collects these elegant riffs by the most artful of improvisers.