It all began with the release of her first book, A Counts Duty: Assembling the Pieces of Me. The memoir chronicled the author’s quest to discover her lineage. But, beyond the book’s release, the journey continues. In this book, Maulawi Nurudin: The Mysterious Jazz Player in The Basement, Jamilla picks up where she left off in her first book and shares her discoveries of the man whose music piqued her interest as a child - her biological grandfather, Maulawi Nuruin. Willis Wardel was born November 28, 1934, in Chicago and named after his uncle. He later became known to the world as Maulawi Nururdin. A self-assured leader, he was not afraid to boot other musicians off stage, commander their instrument, and promptly give them an impromptu lesson on how to ‘play it right.’