Let That Bad Air Out: Buddy Bolden's Last Parade (Graphic Novels) [Paperback]

Stefan Berg (Author)

Book Description

Series: Graphic Novels | Publication Date: November 1, 2007

Stefan Berg revives the wordless graphic novel in his portrait of the `first man of jazz'. Very little is known of Buddy Bolden. His music was never recorded and there is only one existing photograph, yet he is considered to be the first bandleader to play the improvised music that has since become known as jazz.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`Berg has done a dandy job of recreating the whole march, from its gleaming beginning to the cornet player's falling collapse into the dark hole of madness. The powerful final image is of a cornet, the mouthpiece no longer in place. ... For all the book's dark content, a smart refreshing breeze wafts from its pages, the result of a lovely combo of artistic and bookmaking craft. Well done.'

(Dan Smith Toronto Star )

`Art books published by The Porcupine's Quill never disappoint. Let That Bad Air Out: Buddy Bolden's Last Parade is another glowing example of the superb quality of the releases from this marvellous small-town Ontario press.

`In a series of brilliantly rendered linocut relief prints, Berg tells the story of Buddy Bolden, a New Orleans jazz musician living from 1877 to 1931. Each crisp image masterfully succeeds in evoking a feeling of the fluidity of the music, the boisterousness of the community, and the darkness of the events surrounding the musician's demise. An introduction by Donald M. Marquis, author of In Search of Buddy Bolden: First Man of Jazz, and an afterword by renowned artist, George A. Walker, round out this collection.

`Fans of the graphic novel genre and enthusiasts of linocut relief printmaking will surely be pleased with Let That Bad Air Out: Buddy Bolden's Last Parade. Highly recommended.'

(minibookexpo.com )

From the Author

`I thought I heard Buddy Bolden shout ``Open up that window and let that bad air out'' ' -- Jelly Roll Morton, from `Buddy Bolden Blues'

Charles `Buddy' Bolden was a New Orleans musician at the turn of the 20th Century. He is considered to be the first bandleader to play the improvised form of music, which later became known as Jazz. Buddy was the first `King' of the cornet in New Orleans, and is remembered by musicians as one of the finest horn players they had ever heard. In April, 1907, at the age of 31, Bolden burst a blood vessel in his neck while playing his cornet with Henry Allen's Brass Band. Tragically, this developed into paranoid dementia for which Bolden was hospitalized in June 1907. He remained there until his death in 1931.

Let That Bad Air Out is a book of seventy images depicting the story of the legendary Buddy Bolden in his last New Orleans parade.

It was the culture of the New Orleans parade and its unique music that sparked my interest in Buddy Bolden. I wanted to tell the story of his music and capture the energy and the movement of the parade in hand carved images. Bolden played his cornet with such power and clarity that it is said his music could be heard from miles away. Because he was never recorded, this unique sound has been lost to history. The quiet left in Bolden's wake seems a fitting subject for the silent novel.

The title for this book is taken from lyrics attributed to Bolden, `... open up that window and let that bad air out....' referring to the need to refresh the cramped, sweaty atmosphere of the late night dance halls. I think it is an appropriate appeal to a culture that communicates predominantly via complex technologies. This is a creative work that responds with a much needed dose of simplicity.

My intent is to uphold the traditional techniques of printmaking while remaining a contemporary artist. The work of a block cutter is a simple yet noble practice; a craft handed down from the Middle Ages. It requires only a simple surface (in this case linoleum), a cutting tool, and an idea. It appeals directly to the eye and to the imagination.

(Stefan Berg )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Porcupine's Quill; 1 edition (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889842965
• ISBN-13: 978-0889842960
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,446,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)