DIALOGUS - Louis Armstrong - Acceptance Letter

Acceptance Letter
from Louis Armstrong
to the Publisher

Louis Armstrong
Miss Lady Stardust, Assistant-Publisher
Dialogus

New York, June 19, 1958

Dear Lady, I will be candid with you. When I realized that your offer of an exchange of correspondence between Louis Armstrong and people from the 21st century was serious and real, the first question I asked myself was: what's in it for us, what's in it for the All Stars, what's in it for our organisation. The popularity of jazz continues to decline and our way of life is far from being what it used to be. Furthermore, I quickly figured out that Canadian money from the 21st century would be considered phony money here, for whatever reason. No irony intended.

The bundle of documentation you sent us made me change my mind. I had a thorough and careful look at the movies, newspaper clips, tapes and so-called "web sites" you provided us. When I discovered that in about five years from now, Satchmo will hit #1 in the charts with a remake of HELLO DOLLY, I began to understand what was in it for us...

Let's have it straight. Mister Armstrong is the artist, I am the manager. He is not specially aware of the info you provided me about his future. He does not know that the biggest hit of his life is still ahead... I understand that he might learn it from your correspondents, but that is different. For business he takes his instructions strictly from me. And now, thanks to Dialogus, I know that his future summarizes in one word: entertainment.

So you paid your share in advance, good lady. With all this documentation in my cardboards, I know now how to pilot Louis. He will be remembered as the biggest artist of the 20th century, I will be remembered as the smartest manager, and our bread will be properly buttered. To get rid of uncertainty is my notion of business prospect.

So we have a deal. And Mister Armstrong will write to you very soon. He will talk with your correspondents about his music, his philosophy of life, his childhood, his friends, his family, New Orleans, America, the world.

But he will not talk business. If a business question is raised, the well disciplined Louis Armstrong will refer whoever asks it to me. That is the way weíve worked since 1935, and take my word, it is the best way to handle things when we are dealing with Louis Armstrong. So, People of the future, respect that share of our tasks, and Louis Armstrong will enjoy his association with Dialogus (and vice versa) for a long time.

Joe Glaser

Louis Armstrong
Hi MyLady, please to meet you, future chick, Oh man!

Big mama, this is kindda crazy. Let me tell you how it happened. You know that I always have that portable typewriter with me. When we are touring (and man ask me if we are touring!), at the intermissions, I sit in the wing, I pull out my reading glasses, and I write stuff. That is the way I ended up writing the story of my childhood, which was published 'bout four years ago. I wrote it myself. It was written by a «negre» as French guys put it. And that nigger was nobody but me! I love to write.

So that night, my manager Joe Glaser brought that guy in the wing. He called him a «Dialogus Scout», whatever that means. A nice black fellow, beautifully dressed, polite. He looked like a chaplain. He gave me that «laptop» thing and said: «Try this one, Louis». I said: «whereíd you roll the paper?». «It ainít need no paper Louis, you just type, it reads on that screen, and it stays in memory. That thing is a computer!» That was as straight as crazy. I stared at Joe, who simply said: «Try it Louis, we are going to be in business with this gentleman». And on I went. Beautiful device! I understand that everything I wrote can now be printed (with another device called a «printer») by anybody in the world. Simply amazing!

And now I am told that, through that device, I will be given the opportunity to correspond with all these beautiful cats from 21st century who still like me and enjoy my music. I love the idea, and my manager gave the OK. So cats, what more can I say. Send the letters, and that old Satchmo from 1958 will answer his fans from the future with all his might and all his love.

Talk to you soon,

Louis Armstrong

				Acceptance Letter from Louis Armstrong to the Publisher




Louis Armstrong				Miss Lady Stardust, Assistant-Publisher Dialogus New York, June 19, 1958 Dear Lady, I will be candid with you. When I realized that your offer of an exchange of correspondence between Louis Armstrong and people from the 21st century was serious and real, the first question I asked myself was: what's in it for us, what's in it for the All Stars, what's in it for our organisation. The popularity of jazz continues to decline and our way of life is far from being what it used to be. Furthermore, I quickly figured out that Canadian money from the 21st century would be considered phony money here, for whatever reason. No irony intended. The bundle of documentation you sent us made me change my mind. I had a thorough and careful look at the movies, newspaper clips, tapes and so-called "web sites" you provided us. When I discovered that in about five years from now, Satchmo will hit #1 in the charts with a remake of HELLO DOLLY, I began to understand what was in it for us... Let's have it straight. Mister Armstrong is the artist, I am the manager. He is not specially aware of the info you provided me about his future. He does not know that the biggest hit of his life is still ahead... I understand that he might learn it from your correspondents, but that is different. For business he takes his instructions strictly from me. And now, thanks to Dialogus, I know that his future summarizes in one word: entertainment. So you paid your share in advance, good lady. With all this documentation in my cardboards, I know now how to pilot Louis. He will be remembered as the biggest artist of the 20th century, I will be remembered as the smartest manager, and our bread will be properly buttered. To get rid of uncertainty is my notion of business prospect. So we have a deal. And Mister Armstrong will write to you very soon. He will talk with your correspondents about his music, his philosophy of life, his childhood, his friends, his family, New Orleans, America, the world. But he will not talk business. If a business question is raised, the well disciplined Louis Armstrong will refer whoever asks it to me. That is the way weíve worked since 1935, and take my word, it is the best way to handle things when we are dealing with Louis Armstrong. So, People of the future, respect that share of our tasks, and Louis Armstrong will enjoy his association with Dialogus (and vice versa) for a long time. Joe Glaser


Louis Armstrong				Hi MyLady, please to meet you, future chick, Oh man! Big mama, this is kindda crazy. Let me tell you how it happened. You know that I always have that portable typewriter with me. When we are touring (and man ask me if we are touring!), at the intermissions, I sit in the wing, I pull out my reading glasses, and I write stuff. That is the way I ended up writing the story of my childhood, which was published 'bout four years ago. I wrote it myself. It was written by a «negre» as French guys put it. And that nigger was nobody but me! I love to write. So that night, my manager Joe Glaser brought that guy in the wing. He called him a «Dialogus Scout», whatever that means. A nice black fellow, beautifully dressed, polite. He looked like a chaplain. He gave me that «laptop» thing and said: «Try this one, Louis». I said: «whereíd you roll the paper?». «It ainít need no paper Louis, you just type, it reads on that screen, and it stays in memory. That thing is a computer!» That was as straight as crazy. I stared at Joe, who simply said: «Try it Louis, we are going to be in business with this gentleman». And on I went. Beautiful device! I understand that everything I wrote can now be printed (with another device called a «printer») by anybody in the world. Simply amazing! And now I am told that, through that device, I will be given the opportunity to correspond with all these beautiful cats from 21st century who still like me and enjoy my music. I love the idea, and my manager gave the OK. So cats, what more can I say. Send the letters, and that old Satchmo from 1958 will answer his fans from the future with all his might and all his love. Talk to you soon, Louis Armstrong