If you were to ask me which historical figure I would most like to meet, it's Louis Armstrong. I don't know what I'd say to him, but I know I'd smile.

I just received my copy of Mosaic Records' amazing new boxed set, The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1946), and not long ago I finished reading Terry Teachout's fabulous new biography, Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong. (I also recommend Gary Giddins' Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong.) Opening this magnificent collection of music today reminded me that I've long wanted to write about how much I love Louis Armstrong—as a musician, as a man, as an icon, and as a trailblazer. The brilliance of his playing, the warmth of his vocals, and his unparalleled integrity as a human being simply inspire me. He faced tremendous adversity, ignorance and hatred in his life, and fought back without sinking to the level of those who opposed him.