If you watch me closely, you will notice that I can’t sit still. I am always rubbing my feet on the ground or bouncing to an imaginary tune in my head. This trait was pointed out to me by my Nana a few years ago. She told me that I have done it since I was a baby, and It is one of her favorite things about me.
In the novel “Coming Through Slaughter”, I see the story of someone who can’t sit still - Buddy Bolden. He paved the way for many Jazz musicians today by creating a style of music that was unheard of before. As a Jazz performer, there is a constant rhythm that flows through the body. This rhythm flows through Buddy, into his hands and out of his instrument. He would take traditional tunes, deconstruct them and then rebuild them into what we now call jazz. In his music, there's a sense of freedom, with no set path to follow. He would digress on long tangents and get captivated by certain notes. There was no right answer or wrong answer; he simply did what felt right.
Buddy Bolden’s legacy is seen in the brass band that follows the Divine Ladies Social Aid and Pleasure Club. I patiently wait on the corner of Claiborne and Toledano Ave for the parade to march down the street. I hear music approaching from down the street then I see The Divine Ladies dressed in blue jumpsuits and riding on a float. For the past 20 years, this Social Aid and Pleasure Club has paraded down the streets of Central City, showcasing New Orleans pride and community.
As the parade comes closer, I see hundreds of smiling faces in the procession, creating the Second Line. The music grows louder, and I catch the end of a song as the brass band passes by. I join the line after the band, ready for the next song. They play “Joy and Pain” by Maze. The sound is manipulated in a way that I would not have recognized it without the crowd singing along. I listen closely, trying to hear the baseline set by the sousaphone, but the song has a new spin on it. The other brass instruments add small solos, each interpreting the song in their own way.
During the parade, I cannot help but reflect on the pages of “Coming through Slaughter”. I read the novel while sitting outside a cafe in the French Quarter, where I could hear the Royal Street Brass Band playing in the distance. “Coming through Slaughter ''becomes the soundtrack of my experience, as the writing in the novel creates a rhythm that replicates the motion of New Orleans and the Second Line. The lines are poetic and break down the traditional rules of prose. There are pages that only fill half the sheet, leaving the rest open to interpretation. The writing is chaotic and sometimes hard to follow, but it beautifully captures the essence of jazz and the story of Buddy Bolden.
In the Second Line, I discover a group of people with rhythm flowing from the tops of their head to the tips of their toes. It’s clear that their movements don’t stem from their brains; they are a part of their bodies. The improvisation in their movements mirrors the sounds of the instruments. As the music reaches a crescendo, the dancers kick out their legs and arms in perfect harmony.
As the brass band from the Second Line passes, I notice a man pressed against the rope barrier dancing next to the trumpet player. It is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. He seamlessly transitions from a jump onto his knees and up to a graceful spin. From there, he effortlessly moves into a bounce step. Then he glides in a synchronous motion with the extension of the trombone. I am captivated by the freedom he expresses through his movement. I wanted to embrace this form of rhythm, just as did with the book. After the song ends, I approached him and shared that I am not from the area. I ask him to teach me what he is doing. Without missing a beat, he responded that he cannot teach me; I have to listen to the music and let my body guide me.
This is also how jazz was described in the novel. Buddy Bolden is portrayed as someone who doesn't think; he lets the moment take over. He creates a connection between the body and the music and expresses it in any way possible. The sounds of Buddy’s cornet are loud, emotional and honest. This emotion in the music is what set Buddy apart from the rest of the musicians he would play with. The emotion and expression of jazz is reinterpreted by everyone that hears it. Every person around me is creating their own art as a response to the sounds.
At this point in the parade, I find myself next to a local who has been dancing the whole way down the street. I have stopped analyzing her moments. Instead, I listen to the beat and let my feet follow the rhythm. I step back and forth, hop and kick, just like I have done a million times before. I feel like a kid on a playground, unbothered by shame or judgment. I dance what I feel. For a moment, my body moves faster than my body can keep up with. Again, I step back and forth, hop and kick. Then, with a sudden thwack of the horns, I’m on my heels. Another, thwack, and I lean forward on my toes. I feel my torso rushing forward. Without thinking, I float forward and spin.
Buddy Bolden dared to try something new with his style of music. He let his mind take a break and let his fingers take over. Jazz is so captivating because it allows for the listener to form their own style and interpretation. While reading "Coming through Slaughter”, I immersed myself in the rhythm of jazz that is heard throughout the city. I experienced this first hand while dancing alongside the Divine Ladies. I continue to see the expression of Buddy Bolden in the brass bands on Royal Street, the dancers in the Second Line and every person improvising to the tune inside their heads.