In Search of Buddy Bolden: First Man of Jazz

by Donald M. Marquis

The beginnings of jazz and the story of Charles “Buddy” Bolden (1877–1931) are inextricably intertwined. Just after the turn of the century, New Orleanians could often hear Bolden’s powerful horn from the city’s parks and through dance hall windows. Despite his lack of formal training, his unique style―both musical and personal―made him the first “king” of New Orleans jazz and the inspiration for such later jazz greats as King Oliver, Kid Ory, and Louis Armstrong.

For years the legend of Buddy Bolden was overshadowed by myths about his music, his reckless lifestyle, and his mental instability. In Search of Buddy Bolden overlays the myths with the substance of reality. Interviews with those who knew Bolden and an extensive array of primary sources enliven and inform Donald M. Marquis’s absorbing portrait of the brief but brilliant career of the first man of jazz. This paperback edition includes a new preface and appendix relating events and discoveries that have occurred since the book’s original publication in 1978.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Jazz

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1978

Reviews

[Paul Secor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Search of Buddy Bolden probably finds as much of the truth about Buddy Bolden, the legendary New Orleans jazz musician, as will ever be known. Donald M. Marquis did yeoman's work in looking through old records - birth certificates, marriage certificates, city directories, even the commitment order and receipt of Buddy Bolden's arrival at the mental institution where he died -researched other's interviews and conducted his own interviews, and basically separated the verifiable facts about Buddy Bolden from the legends that built up around him years after his passing. Plus, the book contains a reproduction of a portrait of Buddy Bolden as a very young man and a photograph of him with one of his bands. For that, every jazz lover should tip their hat to him.
In search of Buddy Bolden should appeal to anyone with a true interest in jazz or in the history of New Orleans.

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this scholarly, quiet little book on Buddy Bolden, considered by many to be the first jazz musician. Part of what I love about it is that Marquis resists the temptation to embellish the Bolden story - he debunks the legends that Bolden was a barber and that he published a scandal sheet. Not much is known about the man or the musician, but Marquis has probably tracked down all the leads and uncovered all there is to find about this legendary musician. Bolden remains a somewhat shadowy figure, and some readers will probably find this book disappointing for that reason. But to me, Marquis' book is a model of no-nonsense (but very readable) jazz scholarship.

[Kusaimamekirai · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I remember we’d be hanging around some corner, wouldn’t know there was going to be a dance out at Lincoln park. Then we’d hear old Buddy’s trumpet coming on and we’d all start. The whole town would know Bolden was at the park ten or twelve miles from the center of Town. He was the blowingest man since Gabriel”-Jelly Roll Morton


At the turn of the 20th century, before “Jazz” was jazz, its closest precursor lived and breathed in New Orleans. By the 1920s some of the greatest players in the country, Kid Ory, Johnny Dodds, Freddie Keppard, King Oliver, and the great Louis Armstrong all got their starts here.
But before any of them became known to the music world, there was Buddy Bolden.
Bolden is regarded by most as the first great “musician”. A man who with prodigious appetites for whiskey and women but above all else for his horn which he played by all accounts with a power unmatched in his day.
Precious little sadly is known of Bolden. There are no surviving recordings of his band and a single known photograph. What remains in abundance however are the vast number of musicians during that era who claimed to have played with him. Some of them would have been five or six years old at the time but it didn’t prevent them from claiming his name.
What we do know of Bolden is that his musical career spanned from approximately 1900 to 1906 where he was widely acclaimed as “King” Bolden and was by far the most in demand musician in Nee Orleans.
Sadly, whether due to alcoholism or other causes, Bolden’s mental state deteriorated by 1906 to the point that he would be committed to the state mental asylum where he would remain until his death in the early 1930s.
There was no funeral, no music accompanying him to his grave, not even a mention in the newspapers of this man who had brought joy to so many lives.
Bolden was far from the first great artist to die in obscurity but his story at least had a somewhat happy ending. The author and some descendants of Bolden were able in the mid 1990s to create a campaign for a monument to Bolden in New Orleans as well as a musical funeral for him with songs it’s believed he may have played during his reign as King of New Orleans. Bolden would also be prominently featured in early episodes of Ken Burns Jazz documentary, at least partly restoring his memory.
Even for those with no interest in jazz, this book also provides a wonderful look at turn of the century New Orleans with its sights, sounds, backstreets, and colorful characters with names like “Jack the Rabbit”, “Pudding Man”, “Whiskey Head”, Hit ‘Em Quick”, and “Baggage Car Shorty”.
A superbly researched, and fascinating read.

[Vincent Hernot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the history of New Orleans, of the New Orleans scene before the start of recordings, the history of a place, of a feeling, of a beginning. As little is known of Bolden, with lots of legends, hearsay and gossips but little evidence, the author ranges very wide, and you end up getting a lot more info than you thought you wanted - that you actually wanted.
As Bolden was never recorded, we are reminded of music being like theatre: it's a thing of the moment, everyone not there will never hear it again. Nice, yes, but in the biograph of a musician, that's a bit problematic if the only comment about his music was: he could play loud. ok, it does go a little bit beyond but not that much. So if you're into New Orleans jazz, or the origins of jazz, or New Orleans, this is good. If not, it's still well done but a bit too...focused.
PS: I read this bok not because I'm interested in Bolden, but because he is the main character of the most sumptuous of imagined biographies: Coming through Slaughter, by Michael Ondaatje, which you must absolutely go and read :)

[RA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, well-researched book looking at the mythology around the legendary Buddy Bolden. Great detail about the time period, other musicians, the venues and layout of New Orleans.

[John Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a revised edition of a 1978 book by Donald Marquis on the late great Buddy Bolden. The author states the original title was supposed to be: In Search of the Bolden Legend, but LSU Press had him change it to the First Man of Jazz, which shows that publishers make the editiional decisions not the author.
Charles "Buddy" Bolden (1877-1931) was if nothing else one of, if not the first, to form the creative music sound of Jazz in the early 20th century. Born in New Orleans, he began playing the cornet at an early age by in his hay day lead various band around the city until 1906, when he suddenly fell to some kind of breakdown which, landed him in the Louisiana State Insane Asylum, until his untimely death in 1931.
The book is well researched baked by memories of those who met and him. Jelly Roll Morton, Kid Ory and Sidney Bechet to name a few. He was the precursor of Louis Armstrong among others.
There are many pictures of family members, places where he played, a maps of where he lived.
If your not from New Orleans, you'll need an old map, since some of the streets have changed.
Still a terrific book written about a great man, who, had he lived longer would have been one of the greats of jazz.

[Ronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a rare thing when a book about any historical figure, jazz musician or not, manages to be both scholarly and readable. I am pleased to say that this is one of those.

Buddy Bolden is a character in Jazz history about whom legends are much more in abundance than facts. Marquis manages to sort one from the other, and while there are numerous footnotes and references, at no time did I feel like I was reading a book intended only for Jazz historians or worse, the senior thesis of a music history major.

Much of this book was first published in the 70s, but there are several updates that bring things pretty much up to date. The only item missing that I was able to spot was a failure to mention James "Buddy" Bolden, a former trumpeter with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and currently BB King's lead trumpet and band leader, who is said to be a descendant of the book's subject.

But that's a small criticism. If you have any interest at all in the origins and early years of Jazz, this book belongs on your shelf.

[Stormcrow Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much to like about Buddy Bolden, his mythic stature and while Marquis has clearly done an excellent job researching his subject, there is too much attention to detail. Information that would be well suited to footnotes and appendices (of which there is plenty) are included directly in the text, slogging the reader down with frivolous information.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the book. Bolden's life is fascinating and tragic and full of the wonderful stuff of myth. Many rich details of Bolden and the New Orleans jazz scene at the turn of the 20th century abound, inciting the imagination of life and the exciting musical scene at that time.

NOTE: My understanding is that there is a later edition of the book that perhaps irons out some of the problems I may have had.

[molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great primer on the man and his place in shaping jazz. Wish there had been more musicological information about jazz at that time. All I learned in that regard was that it wasn't quite jazz -- the word hadn't been used yet -- and wasn't even quite ragtime, but that Bolden integrated society-dance tunes with something akin to improvisation (but not, according to the book, improvisation of the sort we usually think of in jazz). No mention of West African-derived rhythmic cells, whether they had nothing to do with Bolden's innovations or everything to do with them. A thorough piece of historical research but a lacking musicological study.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Buddy Bolden still remains a bit of an enigma, I believe that this book does a fantastic job of delivering a great deal of information concerning the life, legacy, and tribulations of Mr. Bolden. A true legend and musical pioneer, I am happy to see that someone has put together a book that does its best to weed out any misinformation and deliver the most accurate account of the man as possible. I sincerely hope that Mr. Bolden is finally resting peacefully.

[Zach Karp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a phenomenally interesting and dense read. Meticulously researched, it has more than enough information to satisfy even the biggest jazz nerd. The revised addition includes extra content on the happenings of Buddy Boldens research since the 1978 publication. This book really helped dispelled the mystical image of Bolden and puts him strongly in the context of early jazz in New Orleans

[Phil Overeem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A labor of love and a huge boon to Bolden researchers and NOLA jazz historians. Not always the most splendid read, though. It didn't really HAVE to be.