When a true virtuoso celebrates a fellow artistic paragon, a feat-of-a-novel like Nicholas Christopher’s Tiger Rag is forged. Lore of the decadent ascent and abrupt plummet of the inventor of Jazz, “King” Buddy Bolden, inspired Christopher’s new treatment, which shines as his crowning work of prose.
Author of fifteen books, including eight collections of poetry, Christopher moves as nimbly between varied chronologies and entwined plotlines as Bolden between scales. Equally deft is Christopher’s talent for research. He bejewels myth with historical detail. He animates fact with richly imagined scene. “Imagined”, especially, because no known recording of Bolden’s playing exists! Tiger Rag, perhaps, is music enough.
CLICK TO WATCH NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER’S Q&A ON THE PROCESS OF WRITING TIGER RAG.
Tiger Rag on Amazon.com:
Edited by Elana Schulman