Jail, Drugs, and Jazz - The Dupree Bolton Story

"Dupree Bolton" is a name that is unknown even to many jazz scholars. It's the name of a bebop trumpet player who seemingly arrived out of nowhere in the late 1950s, and shortly thereafter, simply disappeared. A handful of his recordings as a sideman attest to his striking talent, but do little to dispel the mystery surrounding him.

Writer Ted Gioia, intrigued both by Bolton's searingly passionate music and by shreds of his story, managed to speak with the elusive trumpet player over three meetings in 1989. He writes about his encounters in a 2-part article on jazz.com:

• Part One
• Part Two

This fascinating story is about one man's passion for music, and how the grip of drugs destroyed his pursuit. Although Dupree Bolton never recorded as a leader, his stunning work is compiled on Fireball.

Related:

• What is Bebop?
• Ten Bebop Musicians

Image Courtesy of Uptown Jazz Records