Gail F. Young

My Buddy: a Commemoration for 'buddy Bolden' the First Man of Jazz Gail F. Young 1st edition

?MY BUDDY, A Commemoration For Buddy Bolden, The First Man Of Jazz,? is a work of fiction that was written two years before the deadly hurricane, Katrina. It was originally a short story and later transformed into a novel. Keeping history in mind, the author takes the reader on a journey with the fictitious character, Anwar Rasual, who is a jazz preservationist, musician and professor, and is soul-tied to Charles ?Buddy? Bolden, who is credited with being America?s first jazz musician.   Born in 1877, during an era that was ruled by racism, prejudice, mockery and shame, and in a place where African and American cultures would collide, Buddy Bolden left the jazz scene far too soon; spending 25 years in a mental institution prior to his death in 1931.     Anwar, travels to New Orleans to search for relics and more information regarding Bolden. Scenarios of love, humor, dishonesty, truth, and solution are tied into a plot that evokes a myriad of emotions as the reader embarks on a journey through one man?s mission. Entwined throughout this novel are African American historical tidbits that shed light on attitudes and situations in black culture as well as the role oppression has played in denying and discrediting an African people their cultural heritage.    Although Buddy Bolden cringed and bowed out of the music scene prematurely, a blueprint serves to remind us that the world would be quite barren without the crystallization of his soul, the heartbeat of jazz. In this novel of love, loss, hope, and triumph, Anwar, discovers something of tremendous value in New Orleans--he discovers himself.       ?My Buddy,? is an intimate story that speaks especially to the souls of black people in America and their ancestors who were kidnapped, chained, and shipped to strange and bitter places within the diaspora.