Empire of Sin (57 page)

18
trades traditionally pursued by Creoles …
 See Lester, “New Negro of Jazz,” 32.

19
George Baquet, a Creole clarinetist …
 Baquet in Robichaux’s band per Marquis,
Bolden
, 79.

20
“George, why did you do it?”
The incident of the cutting contest is described in several places, including Ramsey in
Downbeat
, December 15, 1940, and January 1, 1941. Also, Marquis,
Bolden
, 81.

21
“Bolden cause all that …”
is from Paul Dominguez in the Buddy Bolden Vertical File, Beg.-1999, Hogan Jazz Archive.

22
“I came to New Orleans in 1906 …”
is quoted in Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 31–32.

23
Edward “Kid” Ory …
 The best source for Ory is McCusker’s
Creole Trombone
.

24
“Sometimes the guys would put the horns down …”
For Ory’s early life and the quote, see McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 30–31.

25
straight hair, light skin, and Anglo features …
 For Ory’s appearance, see McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 22.

26
“It was dark and no one could see us …”
is from McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 37.

27
made their own musical instruments …
 McCusker describes the homemade musical instruments in
Creole Trombone
, 38–39.

28
“After finishing the three instruments …”
is from McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 38–39.

29
“an old beat-up valve tombone” …
 and Ory’s difficulties after his parents’ deaths are from McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 50.

30
“Then we had some real rehearsing …”
is from McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 51.

31
“Young man, are you blowing the trombone?…”
The Ory-Bolden incident is cited in several places. Quotes here as per McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 53–56.

32
Robichaux, from whom Ory learned …
 McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 61–62, is the source for Ory’s modeling his polished style on Robichaux.

33
perhaps the greatest jazz clarinetist …
 The best sources on Bechet are his own autobiography,
Treat It Gentle
, and Chilton’s
Sidney Bechet: The Wizard of Jazz
.

34
first heard Bolden playing on the street …
 For Bechet’s first hearing of Bolden, see Chilton,
Bechet
, 5.

35
trying to blow the nozzle of her douche …
 See Chilton,
Bechet
, 4.

36
“[It] was down there around Canal Street somewheres …”
is from Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 62–63.

37
“Us Creole musicians always did …”
is quoted in Chilton,
Bechet
, 5.

38
“No, no, no …”
The Papa Tio incident as per Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 79.

39
“Some musicians played the tune prettily …”
Chilton,
Bechet
, 7, discusses Bechet’s modeling himself on Louis Nelson’s playing style, and is the source for the quote.

40
birthday party in April 1907 …
 Leonard’s birthday party as per Chilton,
Bechet
, 5–6, and Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 70–72.

41
“I knew I was too young for them …”
is from Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 71.

42
“He kept me there all evening …”
is from Chilton,
Bechet
, 6.

43
“I used to see Sidney around …”
is quoted in Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 115.

44
“When Baquet wanted to lay off …”
is quoted in Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 116–17.

45
Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe …
 Valuable sources for Jelly Roll Morton are Lomax’s
Mister Jelly Roll
and Reich and Gaines’s
Jelly’s Blues
.

46
“Uptown Negroes” …
 For Morton’s disdain of Uptown black music, see, for instance, Carney, “Creation of Early Jazz,” 301–03.

47
“didn’t want to be called Frenchy” …
 is quoted in Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 4.

48
a three-piece string band …
 For Morton playing in the band, see Gushee, “Chronology,” 392.

49
“a very good piece of ragtime” …
 as per Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 7.

50
“I was so frightened …”
is from Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 30.

51
“The streets were crowded with men …”
is quoted in Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 30–31.

52
“more money than I ever heard of …”
is from Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 31.

53
“no matter how much his Diamond Sparkled …”
is from Armstrong,
In His Own Words
, 24.

54
Laine had a few musicians in his fold …
 For the interest of the white musicians from Laine’s band, see Carney, “Creation of Early Jazz,” 303, Charters,
Trumpet Around the Corner
, 68, and Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 42.

55
“Whites who played jazz …”
is from Hersch,
Subversive Sounds
, 111.

56
When Giarolamo LaRocca discovered …
 The incident with LaRocca’s father as per Charters,
Trumpet Around the Corner
, 128, and Brunn,
Original Dixieland Jazz Band
, 1–5.

57
“the citadel of white caste privileges” …
 Edmond Souchon’s story is from Souchon’s
Jazz Review
article, 8–9.

58
“Most saloons had two sides …”
is from Foster, “Tarnished Angels,” 64.

59
a rise in cocaine use …
 See the
Chicago Tribune
of July 13, 1903.

60
“The orchestra consisted of a clarinet …”
is from the NODI, as quoted in Winston, “News Reporting of Jazz,” 33. (NODIs from this year are missing from library microfilms.)

61
A short, ill-tempered man …
 Morton’s description of the shooting at a Bolden performance, including quotations, as per Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 71–72. [NB: Marquis believes Morton may be conflating two separate incidents in this story.]

62
“I’ve often wondered why …”
is from Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 72.

63
“When we started off playing Buddy’s theme song …”
is quoted in Marquis,
Bolden
, 111.

64
“manifestations of cultural resistance …”
is from Lester, “New Negro of Jazz,” 50.

65
“These guys wouldn’t wear …”
is quoted in Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 23.

66
“just the sight of the famous cornetist …”
is Bob Lyons as quoted in the Ramsey Papers, Folder 319, Historic New Orleans Collection.

67
“King Bolden! …”
as per Marquis,
Bolden
, 96.

68
Nora Bass, a twenty-two-year-old …
 For Nora and their daughter, see Marquis,
Bolden
, 96–98.

69
“Sometimes he would have to run away …”
is Albert Glennie as quoted in the Ramsey Papers, Folder 765, Historic New Orleans Collection.

70
severe headaches …
 see Marquis,
Bolden
, 112.

71
Other symptoms appeared …
 For his failure to recognize friends and talking to strangers, see Ramsey Papers, Folder 304.

72
send Buddy’s friend Louis Jones …
 For Jones having to bring Bolden home, see Ramsey Papers, Folder 286.

73
a fear of his own cornet …
 Marquis,
Bolden
, 112.

74
Some said he drank too much …
 Louis Armstrong thought Bolden’s madness stemmed from excessive drinking per Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 39.

75
an untreated ear infection …
 Louis Jones on the ear infection is from his oral history of January 19, 1959, in the Hogan Jazz Archive.

76
he just played too loud …
 Paul Barbarin’s mother’s theory is cited in Marquis,
Bolden
, 70.

77
“You can go back home …”
The incident with Dusen is cited in Ramsey and Smith,
Jazzmen
, 17–18. [NB: The black Masonic and Odd Fellows Halls were the same building on the corner of Rampart and Perdido.]

78
attacked Mrs. Bass with a water pitcher …
 The incident in which Bolden attacked his mother-in-law is from Marquis,
Bolden
, 112–13.