New Orleans honors not only the history of jazz music, but commemorates the contributions of the individual musicians that helped develop it as an art form. This statue, created by Kimberly Dummons, salutes the ragtime musician Buddy Bolden, who, at the turn of the last century, was the first to “rag the blues” for dancing, creating an early form of improvisational jazz in the process. All three of the figures in this statue represent Bolden, a tribute to his genius. I moved in on these figures to blend them into one – the very essence of ensemble music. Bolden, regarded as the “King of Jazz,” inspired an entire generation of New Orleans jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, who as a youngster listened nightly to the silver magic of Buddy’s notes. A 30-acre park honoring Louis Armstrong now dominates the area just north of Rampart Street. Buddy Bolden’s statue is in the park’s “Roots of Music Sculpture Garden.” Armstrong’s own statue stands only a few yards away, likely still listening to Bolden play.