Biography
Howard Armstrong, known also as Louie Bluie for the 1934 single he released under that alias, performed on violin, mandolin, and guitar within the black string band tradition and cut a handful of sides during the 1920s and 1930s. The 1980s documentary Louie Bluie, directed by Terry Zwigoff (whose later credits include Crumb), lifted him from the narrow confines of collector circles and restored public attention to his work. During his early years he played alongside Carl Martin and guitarist Ted Bogan in groups such as the Four Aces and the Tennessee Chocolate Drops; the latter ensemble laid down “Vine Street Drag” in 1930. These itinerant musicians maintained a base in Chicago for part of the 1930s yet ceased professional activity by the decade’s close, until Armstrong and Bogan resurfaced in the 1970s on folk stages and festival bills. By the period of the documentary he stood among the final practitioners of the black string band approach, an engaging though largely traditional performer. The film’s soundtrack featured fresh sessions with mandolinist Yank Rachell and banjoist Ikey Robinson, two other veterans of the style, together with additional players. That recording, augmented by earlier tracks from the 1920s and 1930s on which Armstrong and Rachell participated, later appeared as a compact disc.