Louis with two charter members of the All Stars, drummer Big Sid Catlett and trombonist Jack Teagarden, at Billy Berg’s in Los Angeles (Illustration Credit i1.1)

Louis and his manager Joe Glaser. Note the placement of Glaser’s hand on Armstrong’s shoulder, echoing a piece of advice Armstrong received in New Orleans: “Always keep a white man behind you that’ll put his hand on you and say, ‘That’s my nigger.’ ” (Illustration Credit i1.2)

Louis, center, in blackface as King of the Zulus at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, 1949. Sid Catlett is to the right of Armstrong, while Velma Middleton is to the left, on the top of the float. (Illustration Credit i1.3)

The All Stars in Brussels in 1949. From left to right: road manager Pierre “Frenchy” Tallerie, Cozy Cole, Barney Bigard, Doc Pugh, Velma Middleton, Earl Hines, Lucille Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, unknown, and Arvell Shaw (Illustration Credit i1.4)

Louis, his wife Lucille Armstrong, and publicist Ernie Anderson outside of Castel Gandolfo, Italy, where they visited Pope Pius XII in 1949 (Illustration Credit i1.5)

Publicity photo for Louis’s appearance at a March of Dimes benefit in Honolulu, Hawaii, in January 1954. Armstrong’s performance at this event helped lessen the fine charged against Lucille Armstrong after she was charged with possession of marijuana. (Illustration Credit i1.6)

Armstrong recording a song for the album Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy for Columbia Records in 1954 (Illustration Credit i1.7)

Louis and Velma Middleton recording “Honeysuckle Rose” for the 1955 album Satch Plays Fats (Illustration Credit i1.8)

From left to right: George Avakian, Edmond Hall, Lotte Lenya, Arvell Shaw, Armstrong, Trummy Young, Billy Kyle, and Barrett Deems. Photo taken September 28, 1955, the day Louis first recorded “Mack the Knife” for Columbia at Avakian’s suggestion. The record became one of his biggest hits. (Illustration Credit i1.9)

Louis considered this photograph, taken by Milan Schijatschky at the Chez Paree in Chicago, to be his favorite. He had hundreds of miniature copies made, which he affixed to letters, cards, and his reel-to-reel tape boxes. (Illustration Credit i1.10)

Armstrong extolling the virtues of his favored laxative, Swiss Kriss, to an unidentified fan in the 1950s (Illustration Credit i1.11)

Edmond Hall, Louis, and Trummy Young perform to a crowd estimated at more than 100,000 in Accra, Ghana, while members of Edward R. Murrow’s camera crew film the event for the 1957 theatrical documentary Satchmo the Great. (Illustration Credit i1.12)

Swiss photographer Milan Schijatschky captured three sides of Louis at a typical one-nighter at a high school gymnasium in Hinsdale, Illinois, on March 20, 1957. Warming up in a locker room, patiently signing autographs for young fans offstage, and having the time of his life onstage with his All Stars. (Illustration Credit i1.13) (Illustration Credit i1.13a)

Louis with drummer Danny Barcelona, who devoted thirteen years of his life to performing with the All Stars (Illustration Credit i1.14)

With a nun after recovering from a heart attack in Spoleto, Italy, 1959 (Illustration Credit i1.15)