The first time I remember seeing Louis Armstrong, he was a little boy playing cornet with the Waif's Home band in a street parade. Even then he stood out. In those days I had a brass band I used for funerals, parades, and picnics. [Black] Benny, the drummer of my brass band, had taken Louis under his wing.

One evening, Benny brought Louis, who had just been released from the Waif's Home, to National Park [New Orleans] where I was playing a picnic. Benny asked me I would let Louis sit in with my band. I remembered the kid from the street parade and I gladly agreed.

Louis came up and played Ole Miss and the blues, and everyone in the park went wild over this boy in knee trousers who could play so great. I liked Louis' playing so much that I asked him to come and sit with my band any time he could.

[...]

There were many good, experienced trumpet players in town, but none of them had young Louis' possibilities. I went to see him and told him that if he got himself a pair of long trousers I'd give him a job. Within two hours, Louis came to my house and said, "Here I am, I'll be glad when eight o'clock comes. I am ready to go".