There’s a reason why people call him “Rick-O-Pedia.”
Louis Armstrong House Museum Director of Research Collections Ricky Riccardi simply knows everything about Satchmo. His life. His songs. The behind-the-scenes facts of his tours. Heck, he probably even knows the Jazz legend’s blood type.
Test him and find out for yourself during the launch for Riccardi’s new book Stomp Off, Let’s Go at LAHM on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 3 pm.
Admission is free, but please click here to register.
Rick-O-Pedia will offer a presentation and then participate in a Q&A. He’ll also host a special archival tour showcasing some of LAHM’s rare treasures. Then, he’ll sell and sign his new book, which takes readers from Armstrong’s youth in New Orleans to his first successful steps in the Jazz world with King Oliver’s Band in Chicago and Fletcher Hernderson in New York City.
Sounds like another day at the office for Rick-O-Pedia, who’s been playing the piano since age seven. While gigging with bands, the New Jersey native got a Master’s Degree in Jazz History & Research from Rutgers University. He’s written three books and countless articles on Armstrong, while running the Dippermouth blog. He’s also won several awards, including a 2022 Grammy for Best Album Notes for Mosaic’s Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966 and a 2025 Grammy for Best Album Notes for Centennial, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band & Various Artists.
Yes, that’s two Grammys. (Maybe we should call him “Grammy-O-Pedia.”)
Satchmo is often associated with New Orleans, where he grew up and an airport bears his name. However, the only piece of land he ever owned is a two-story, unattached brick house at 34-56 107th St. that his wife, Lucille, and he bought for about $8,000 in 1943. Lucille, a former singer at Harlem’s Cotton Club, outlived him and donated the property to the city for use as a museum upon her death in 1983. Nobody else lived in this national and city landmark after the Armstrongs, so the inside is just like it was when they were there.
In 2022, LAHM unveiled a visitors center. The 14,000-square-foot venue features a permanent home for the trumpeter/band leader’s 60,000-piece archive and a state-of-the-art, 75-seat performance spot.
Image: Ricky Riccardi