old_tim's review against another edition
3.0
One of the intriguing things about the early twentieth century is how the history of that time is just tantalizingly out of reach. Often we have only oral histories to inform us, with sound or video documentation coming years later. For fans of American music, these tidbits can be quite tantalizing. How did the early bluesmen sound when they were playing a gig? What were their repertoires really like?
Tiger Rag spends a great deal of time fleshing out one of those mysteries. Buddy Bolden, by all accounts a seminal figure in the early development of jazz, died without ever recording. In the alternate world of Tiger Rag, Buddy did record – but the resulting cylinders were long lost.
Christopher uses two narratives to tell his story. One is set in the past, starting with Bolden’s recording session, & then following the cylinders through time. The other is set in the present day, as a dysfunctional mother and daughter take an impromptu road trip from Miami to New York. Unbeknownst to them, their own family history ties into the fate of the missing Bolden recording.
The strong point of Tiger Rag is Christopher’s ability to make the history of jazz become alive. Recording sessions, gigs, it feels real in a funky visceral sense. There are some bigger names that become tangentially involved in the story, but primarily we are dealing with those on the tangents – sidemen, siblings and spouses.
I was much less interested in the contemporary storyline. While both Devon and Ruby (her mother) were well developed characters, in such stark contrast to the highly entertaining figures in the past, they felt thin. While turn of the century New Orleans felt bold and alive, present day New York seemed pale and skeletal.
That being said, if you have an interest in traditional jazz, or New Orleans in the early twentieth century, you’ll enjoy Tiger Rag.
Tiger Rag spends a great deal of time fleshing out one of those mysteries. Buddy Bolden, by all accounts a seminal figure in the early development of jazz, died without ever recording. In the alternate world of Tiger Rag, Buddy did record – but the resulting cylinders were long lost.
Christopher uses two narratives to tell his story. One is set in the past, starting with Bolden’s recording session, & then following the cylinders through time. The other is set in the present day, as a dysfunctional mother and daughter take an impromptu road trip from Miami to New York. Unbeknownst to them, their own family history ties into the fate of the missing Bolden recording.
The strong point of Tiger Rag is Christopher’s ability to make the history of jazz become alive. Recording sessions, gigs, it feels real in a funky visceral sense. There are some bigger names that become tangentially involved in the story, but primarily we are dealing with those on the tangents – sidemen, siblings and spouses.
I was much less interested in the contemporary storyline. While both Devon and Ruby (her mother) were well developed characters, in such stark contrast to the highly entertaining figures in the past, they felt thin. While turn of the century New Orleans felt bold and alive, present day New York seemed pale and skeletal.
That being said, if you have an interest in traditional jazz, or New Orleans in the early twentieth century, you’ll enjoy Tiger Rag.
kimberly28's review
2.0
Dear authors: please just write dialog the normal way, with line breaks and quotation marks. Why do you do this
Wasn't particularly compelled by any of the characters except maybe Devon's struggle against her mother's breakdown. Time jumps were confusing, especially since the year was only sometimes listed in the chapter title. And there were too many time periods. Devon had no personal connection to Bolden, and it made no sense to string all these stories together. In a dual timeline story like this you're looking for the connection, and it ended up being kind of tenuous.
Wasn't particularly compelled by any of the characters except maybe Devon's struggle against her mother's breakdown. Time jumps were confusing, especially since the year was only sometimes listed in the chapter title. And there were too many time periods. Devon had no personal connection to Bolden, and it made no sense to string all these stories together. In a dual timeline story like this you're looking for the connection, and it ended up being kind of tenuous.
runkefer's review against another edition
3.0
I was disappointed. The writing was pretty pedestrian, with lots of exposition, and the intertwining plots were in way too much of a hurry. The book is only about 250 pages, which might be part of the problem. And a lot of cliche--the substance-abusing jazz musician, the wise fortune-teller, the lost artifact that magically reappears, and what was up with Ruby's mental illness or whatever it was? That didn't seem to belong in this book. I read 2 of this author's previous books and I remembered liking them, but that was a pretty long time ago.
jeregenest's review against another edition
3.0
A muscial mystery involving early jazz. Not nearly as fantastic (or fantastic at all) as his earleir novels but I enjoyed it.
danbydame's review against another edition
3.0
Good stories woven together. I glazed over with the detailed jazz history. Just not my thing
windycorner's review against another edition
4.0
This is a cracking good read. Easy to get into, beautiful writing, great story. I recommend it, highly if you are a fan of jazz or of music history in general.
rbandock's review
5.0
It's been far too long since I've read a Nicholas Christopher novel. His stories are so intricately plotted and so satisfying when you see them come together. Tiger Rag mixes fiction with jazz history in this delightful dual narrative. Alternating between when legendary jazz cornettist Buddy Bolden recorded a fabled but lost Edison cylinder of music in the early 20th century and as Ruby Cardillo takes stock of her life after a bitter divorce and tries to reconnect with her daughter, Devon, during the Christmas holiday of 2010. Tiger Rag moves between these stories seamlessly. Christopher's ability to write a complex plot yet make the story utterly compelling amazes me.
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