"Struttin' with Some Barbecue" - Ronell Johnson

“Struttin’ with Some Barbecue” (PDF) from the Ronell Johnson album, That Gentilly Swing

Lil Hardin Armstrong gave her life to “The World’s Greatest Trumpet Player.” A classically-trained Black pianist from Memphis, Tennessee, Lillian Hardin began her professional career in 1918 after moving to Chicago and performing periodically with King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. She met trumpeter Louis Armstrong upon his 1922 arrival in Chicago to join Oliver’s band, and she encouraged him to pursue his own career in the spotlight. The couple was married in 1924, and after securing a residency for her own band Lil Hardin welcomed Satchmo back from New York City in 1925 for what became Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five, including New Orleans trombonist Kid Ory.

“Struttin’ with Some Barbecue” was written by Hardin and recorded by the Hot Five in 1927, but it became such a signature tune for the frontman that he later sought out ownership of the song, in what historian Ted Gioia called “a custody battle.” According to Cab Calloway’s Hepster’s Dictionary, the slang term “barbecue” refers to an attractive partner and perhaps not the type to disrespect. In what became her final offering, Lil Hardin Armstrong collapsed at the piano during a 1971 memorial performance for “The World’s Greatest Trumpet Player” in a Chicago city park, which in 2004 was dedicated in her honor.

Here is a YouTube video of Lil Hardin Armstrong performing with Mae Barnes in 1962 for Chicago television:

Recommended reading: The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire by Ted Gioia. Published by Oxford University Press.