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.

BIO

Rachel Himes is a PhD candidate in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University. My research focuses on representations of race in the decorative arts and material culture of eighteenth and nineteenth century France. She is also also a museum educator.

REVIEWS

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

[H]  Charlesbridge Publishing  /  December 11, 2018

0.7" H x 9.1" L x 6.3" W (0.95 lbs) 96 pages