In the Jardin des Arénes de Cimiez a bronze bust of Louis Armstrong has
been erected in 1974. In 1948 the Nice Jazz Festival was held for the first
time. The opening concert took place in the Opera of Nice on 23rd February of
that year and Louis Armstrong performed there.
"A bronze bust in Cimiez
For obscure reasons, the Nice Jazz Festival disappeared for over 20
years, only to return in 1971. That year, Louis Armstrong succumbed to a
heart attack. In 1974, the festival organizers decided to pay tribute to
him. A bust of the trumpeter appeared in the gardens of the Arènes de Cimiez
. The inauguration was attended by Princess Grace of Monaco and Lucille
Armstrong, Satchmo's widow.
The Nice Jazz Festival thus chose to engrave its gratitude to Louis
Armstrong in bronze. It has to be said that the history between the Baie des
Anges and the New Orleans genius has attracted many other monuments in its
wake. These include Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Nina Simone. As if
suspended in the air, the trumpet blasts of February 23, 1948 continue to
distill their magic in the skies above Nice."
Translated from source:
radio-monaco.com/louis-armstrong-grand-pionnier-du-nice-jazz-festival/
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong was a trumpeter and singer and definitely a blues
and jazz legend. He was born in New Orleans in 1901 and died in 1971. In
2017 he was inducted in the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and
some of his recordings were inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame, for example
"St. Louis Blues" and "West End Blues".
Further information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong