| Buddy Bolden | |
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 Buddy Bolden
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Bolden |
| Also known as | King Bolden |
| Born | September 6, 1877 |
| Origin |  New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Died | November 4, 1931 (aged 54) |
| Genre(s) | Rag-time Dixieland Jazz Blues |
| Instrument(s) | cornet |
Charles "Buddy" Bolden (September 6, 1877 – November 4, 1931) was an African American cornetist and is regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of a New Orleans style of rag-time music which later came to be known as jazz. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 Dixieland or Dixie is a name for the southeastern portion of the USA; see Southern United States, Dixie. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The cornet is a Brass instrument very similar to the Trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape and mellower tone quality Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The cornet is a Brass instrument very similar to the Trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape and mellower tone quality New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States
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Life
He was known as King Bolden (see Jazz royalty), and his band was a top draw in New Orleans from about 1900 until 1907, when he was incapacitated by schizophrenia, which was called dementia praecox at that time. Jazz royalty is a term that reflects the many great Jazz musicians who have some sort of royal, aristocratic or other honorific title added to their names or Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Schizophrenia ( from the Greek roots schizein (σχίζειν "to split" and phrēn Dementia praecox ("premature Dementia " is a term first used in 1891 in this Latin form by Arnold Pick (1851-1924 a professor of psychiatry at the German He left no known surviving recordings, but he was known for his very loud sound and constant improvisation.
While there is substantial first hand oral history about Buddy Bolden, facts about his life continue to be lost amongst colourful myth. Stories about him being a barber by trade or that he published a scandal-sheet called the "Cricket" have been repeated in print despite being debunked decades earlier.
Bolden suffered an episode of acute alcoholic psychosis in 1907. In Medicine, an acute disease is a disease with either or both of a rapid onset a short course (as opposed to a chronic course Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions Psychosis (from the Greek ψυχή "psyche" for mind or soul and -οσις "-osis" for abnormal condition with adjective psychotic Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year With the full diagnosis of dementia praecox, he was admitted to a mental institution where he spent the rest of his life. Dementia praecox ("premature Dementia " is a term first used in 1891 in this Latin form by Arnold Pick (1851-1924 a professor of psychiatry at the German A psychiatric hospital (previously called insane asylum, mental hospital; or derogatorily looney bin, nut house or Funny Farm) is [1][2]
Bolden was buried in an unmarked grave in Holt Cemetery, a pauper's graveyard in New Orleans. The phrase Unmarked grave has Metaphorical meaning in the context of cultures that mark burial sites. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead with or without monuments such as Headstones It is usually located near and administered by a In 1998 a monument to Bolden was erected in Holt Cemetery, but his exact gravesite remains unknown. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) A monument is a structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past A grave is a place where a dead body (usually a human although sometimes an animal is buried
Music
Many early jazz musicians credited Bolden and the members of his band with being the originators of what came to be known as "jazz", though the term was not yet in common musical use until after the era of Bolden's prominence. At least one writer has labeled him the father of jazz. [3] He is credited with creating a looser, more improvised version of ragtime and adding blues to it; Bolden's band was said to be the first to have brass instruments play the blues. Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression He was also said to have taken ideas from gospel music heard in uptown African American Baptist churches. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination.
Instead of imitating other cornetists, Bolden played music he heard "by ear" and adapted it to his horn. In doing so, he created an exciting and novel fusion of rag-time, black sacred music, marching-band music and rural blues. He rearranged the typical New Orleans dance band of the time to better accommodate the blues; string instruments became the rhythm section, and the front-line instruments were clarinets, trombones, and Bolden's cornet. Bolden was known for his powerful, loud, "wide open" playing style. [1]
Joe "King" Oliver, Freddie Keppard, Bunk Johnson, and other early New Orleans jazz musicians were directly inspired by his playing. Joe "King" Oliver, ( December 19, 1885 &ndash April 10, 1938) was a Jazz Cornet player and Bandleader Freddie Keppard (sometimes rendered as Freddy Keppard) ( February 27, 1890 - July 15, 1933) was an early Jazz Cornetist Willie Gary "Bunk" Johnson ( ca 1879 or 1889 &ndash July 7, 1949) was a prominent early New Orleans Jazz Trumpet
Although Bolden was recalled as having made at least one phonograph cylinder, no known recordings of Bolden have survived. The earliest method of recording and reproducing sound was on phonograph cylinders.
Some of the songs first associated with his band such as the traditional song "Careless Love" and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It", are still standards. Bolden often closed his shows with the original number "Get Out of Here and Go Home", although for more "polite" gigs the last number would be "Home! Sweet Home!". "Home! Sweet Home!" (also known as "Home Sweet Home") is a song that has remained well-known for over 150 years
One of the most famous Bolden numbers is a song called "Funky Butt" (known later as "Buddy Bolden's Blues") which represents one of the earliest references to the concept of "funk" in popular music, now a musical subgenre unto itself. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Bolden's "Funky Butt" was, as Danny Barker once put it, a reference to the olfactory effect of an auditorium packed full of sweaty people "dancing close together and belly rubbing. Danny Barker ( 13 January 1909 &ndash 13 March, 1994) born Daniel Moses Barker, was a Jazz Banjoist, Singer " [2] Other musicians closer to Bolden's generation explained that the famous tune actually originated as a reference to flatulence. Flatulence is the production of a mixture of gases in the digestive tract of Mammals that are byproducts of the digestion process
I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say,
Funky-butt, funky-butt, take it away.
The "Funky Butt" song was one of many in the Bolden repertory with rude or off-color lyrics popular in some of the rougher places Bolden played, and Bolden's trombonist Willy Cornish claimed authorship. William "Willy" Cornish (1 August 1875 - 12 January 1942 was an early Jazz musician - known for his being very active on the New Orleans scene playing It became so well known as a rude song that even whistling the melody on a public street was considered offensive. However the strain was incorporated into the early published ragtime number "St. Louis Tickle".
Tributes to Bolden
Sidney Bechet wrote and composed "Buddy Bolden Stomp" in his honor. Sidney Bechet ( May 14, 1897 &ndash May 14, 1959) was an American Jazz saxophonist, Clarinetist and Composer
Duke Ellington paid tribute to Bolden in his 1957 suite "A Drum is a Woman". Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. The trumpet part was taken by Clark Terry. Clark Terry (born December 14, 1920) nicknamed Mumbles, is a Grammy Award-winning American swing and bop Trumpeter, a
Dr. John, in the liner notes to his Goin' Back to New Orleans (1992), describes "I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say" (track 5) as "Jelly Roll Morton's memory of a jazz pioneer". Dr John (also Dr John Creaux) is the Stage name of Malcolm John Rebennack Jr
Bolden in fiction
Bolden has inspired a number of fictional characters with his name. Most famously, Canadian author Michael Ondaatje's novel Coming Through Slaughter features a "Buddy Bolden" character that in some ways resembles Bolden, but in other ways is deliberately contrary to what is known about him. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Philip Michael Ondaatje, OC (ɒnˈdɑːtʃiː (born 12 September 1943 is a Sri Lankan Canadian Coming Through Slaughter is a novel by Michael Ondaatje, published by House of Anansi in 1976
Bolden is also prominent in August Wilson's Seven Guitars. August Wilson ( April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American Playwright. Seven Guitars is a 1995 play by American Playwright, August Wilson. Wilson's drama includes a character (King Hedley) whose father, in the play, deliberately named him after King Buddy Bolden. King Hedley constantly sings, "I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say. . . " and believes that Buddy Bolden will come down and bring him money to buy a plantation.
Additionally, August Wilson's King Hedley II continues Seven Guitars, thus Bolden continues in the play as well. King Hedley II is a play by American Playwright, August Wilson, the ninth in his ten-part series The Pittsburgh Cycle.
Bolden is a prominent character in David Fulmer's murder mystery titled Chasing the Devil's Tail, being not only a bandleader but also a suspect in the murders. He also appears by reputation or in person in Fulmer's other books.
Bolden is the titular character in the film Bolden!, which is currently in production. He is being portrayed by Anthony Mackie. Anthony Mackie (born September 23, 1979) is an American actor
Footnotes
- ^ a b Barlow, William. "Looking Up At Down": The Emergence of Blues Culture. Temple University Press (1989), pp. 188-91. ISBN 0-87722-583-4.
- ^ "Two Films Unveil a Lost Jazz Legend", National Public Radio, December 15, 2007. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Retrieved on 2008-04-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in "By most accounts, a mix of alcohol and mental illness sent Bolden into an asylum in 1907; he stayed there until his death in 1931. "
- ^ Ted Gioia, The History of Jazz, Oxford/New York 1997, p. 34
Further reading
- Barker, Danny. 1998. Buddy Bolden and the Last Days of Storyville. New York: Continuum. p. 31.
- Marquis, Donald. In Search Of Buddy Bolden: First Man Of Jazz. Louisiana State University Press. The Louisiana State University Press, founded in 1935 is a Nonprofit Book publisher dedicated to the publication of scholarly general interest and regional ISBN ISBN 0807130931.
External links
- Buddy Bolden at National Public Radio
- Buddy Bolden at Findagrave
- Buddy Bolden at the Internet Movie Database
- Photograph [1]
- Photograph [2]
- Buddy Bolden's New Orleans Music [3]
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