The Bolden (Original Soundtrack) featuring music composed, arranged and performed by Wynton Marsalis was released by Blue Engine Records. The soundtrack accompanies the feature film Bolden, which was directed by Dan Pritzker and will be released in theaters nationwide on May 3.
The biopic stars Gary Carr portraying Charles “Buddy” Bolden, a cornet player who was born in New Orleans in 1877 and became one of the earliest pioneers of jazz music. In 1907, Bolden was committed to an insane asylum where he remained until his death in 1931. The film also stars Erik LaRay Harvey, Yaya DaCosta, Reno Wilson, Karimah Westbrook, JoNell Kennedy, Robert Ri’chard and Serena Reeder with Michael Rooker and Ian McShane.
The soundtrack is made up of 26 tracks, including Marsalis originals, songs associated with Bolden and his musical descendant Louis Armstrong. Marsalis led recording sessions in New York City with the trumpeter joined by Ali Jackson (drums), Brianna Thomas (vocals), Carlos Henriquez (bass), Catherine Russell (vocals), Dan Nimmer (piano), Don Vappie (guitar, vocals), Julie Bruskin (cello), Marcus Printup (trumpet), Michael White (Bb clarinet), Reno Wilson (vocals), Sherman Irby (alto saxophone), Ted Nash (alto saxophone, clarinet), Victor Goines (alto saxophone, clarinet, C clarinet), Vincent Gardner (slide trombone, valve trombone), Walter Blanding (tenor saxophone, clarinet) and Wycliffe Gordon (slide trombone, valve trombone).
“Musically, I’m a descendant of Bolden’s, just by being from New Orleans and being a trumpet player,” said Marsalis. “Everything that came after him was always music I was interested in, in terms of American cornet solos, the style of them and variation. Yet people didn’t talk about Bolden. Older musicians would say he played loud; he had many women, he drank — his story was really like a rock ’n’ roll story. If you take what people know of a rock star, that’s the mythology of Buddy Bolden.”
Watch the Bolden trailer and stream the film’s soundtrack below:
