Browse this brief biographical sketch of the cornetist widely recognized as the first musician to have played jazz. With related links.

Barbara White's column on the Golden Age of Jazz discusses the revolutionary sound, and tragic downfall, of this New Orleans cornetist.

Read about the theory that the cornetist's ultimately debilitating schizophrenia was the key ingredient in his development of jazz improvisation.

After reading an introduction, order a copy of Ray Bisso's poetic biography of the "unrecorded pioneer of jazz."

Read a bio of this New Orleans cornet player, who, despite the fact that no recordings survive, is commonly credited with inventing jazz.

Read a brief review of Danny Barker's book investigating the earliest days of New Orleans jazz, and then buy a copy through Amazon.com.

Learn a little about the life and musical importance of the man whom fellow jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton declared "the blowingest man ever lived since Gabriel."

Read an introduction to, and order a copy of, Daniel Hardie's book chronicling "Buddy Bolden and the early history of jazz.