About the Book

This is the story of Buddy Bolden, inventor of jazz, who was celebrated as king in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century. It tells of his life, his career, and of the effect he had on the music of our time.

From eyewitness accounts, published information, and early photographs, The Loudest Trumpet describes how he played the cornet and how his band introduced a new syncopated sound to popular music. It also explains how he influenced the music of his contemporaries in the city and how his raggy, blues-based New Orleans style developed into the music of the Jazz Era—the twenties.