There's a legend at the heart of jazz: that one man, cornet player Buddy Bolden, invented it, inspired "to merge ragtime, blues, Cuban rumba, and the jagged African rhythms that freed slaves once played" into a sound that would influence generations. To date, no recording of this genius has ever surfaced, though a member of his band always insisted that one--of "Tiger Rag"--existed. From this tantalizing historical mystery, Nicholas Christopher has fashioned his irresistible new novel.

Two stories dovetail in TIGER RAG, the first being that of Bolden (such as it is known, and fans of Michael Ondaatje's brilliant deconstruction COMING THROUGH SLAUGHTER know just how elusive Bolden can be), his fellow musicians and their milieu--a wonderful evocation of that storied time, through which Christopher traces the provenance of the Edison cylinder that contains Bolden's "Tiger Rag."

The second story follows Ruby, recently divorced daughter of a small-time jazz musician she hardly knew, who seems to be having what used to be called a nervous breakdown. Accompanying her through this crisis is her daughter Devon, a jazz pianist whose career has been put on indefinite hold, the result of a drug conviction.

The intertwining of these multiple generations of damaged souls forms the page-turning plot of the novel, whose beautiful prose can go by too quickly in the reader's eagerness to learn what happens next. A novel of great drive and finesse--you won't want to put it down. ( )

I just love all the stories about the beginnings of Jazz and Storyville in Louisiana, so it should be no surprise that I found much to love in this book. Two stories are taking place, one in the past and one in the present. The authors strength and passion surely went into his prose and story telling abilities when recounting the past, the late 1800's. I felt like I was back in this time, coronets, recordings, constant smoking and drinking, women and bars and everything else that made Storyville notorious. All the big names in Jazz, and a mystery, a secret recording of a fantastic coronet player whose life ends up being so much less then his talent predicted. Buddy Bolden,the missing cylinder, and a patent lawsuit are basis and the beginning of this book. The future story , while not as interesting, or at least it did not have the same fascination that the past story did, all come together nicely in the end with a twist that I did not see coming. I liked this novel, actually looked everything up in the great and powerful Wiki and the novel has it right. So much of this did happen and Jazz lovers will appreciate this book. ( )