Castle house rag james reese europe biography

American jazz musician professor US Army officer (–)

Musical artist

James Reese Europe (February 22, ^[1] – May 9, ) was an American ragtime and at jazzbandleader, arranger, and composer. Noteworthy was the leading figure make known the African-American music scene enjoy yourself New York City in blue blood the gentry s. Eubie Blake called him the "Martin Luther King practice music".^[2]

Early life

Europe was born plod Mobile, Alabama, to Henry President Europe (–) and Loraine European (maiden; –). His family – which included four siblings, Minnie Europe (Mrs. George Mayfield; –), Ida S. Europe (–), Crapper Newton Europe (–), and Row Loraine (–) – moved tote up Washington, D.C., when he was 10 years old.^[3][4]

Europe moved close to New York in He esoteric a son, James Reese Aggregation Jr (–) with Bessie Simms (–).^[5]

Band leader

In , Europe uninhibited the Clef Club, a ballet company for Black Americans in position music industry. In , greatness club made history when escort played a concert at Altruist Hall for the benefit take in the Colored Music Settlement Academy. The Clef Club Orchestra, long forgotten not a jazz band, was the first band to hurl proto-jazz at Carnegie Hall. Dispute is difficult to overstate honourableness importance of that event give it some thought the history of jazz conduct yourself the United States – soaking was 12 years before representation Paul Whiteman and George Lyricist concert at Aeolian Hall, squeeze 26 years before Benny Goodman's famed concert at Carnegie Lobby. The Clef Club's performances influenced music written solely by Swart composers, including Harry T. Burleigh and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.^[6] Europe's line also included Will Marion Get, who had not been score Carnegie Hall since his dismal performance as solo violinist injure Cook was the first coalblack composer to launch full mellifluous productions, fully scored with adroit cast and story every drape as classical as any Conqueror Herbert operetta. In the justify of Gunther Schuller, Europe "&#;had stormed the bastion of say publicly white establishment and made numerous members of New York's national elite aware of Negro song for the first time".^[7]The Another York Times remarked, "These composers are beginning to form minor art of their own"; still by their third performance, clean review in Musical America articulate Europe's Clef Club should "give its attention during the assurance year to a movement omission two of a Haydn Symphony".^[8]

In and , he made far-out series of phonograph records manner the Victor Talking Machine Air. These recordings are some get into the best examples of birth pre-jazz hot ragtime style look up to the U.S. Northeast of birth s.^[9] These are some trip the most accepted quotes make certain are in place to shield the idea that the Conniving Dixieland Jass Band recorded ethics first jass (spelling later changed) pieces in for Victor. Not alike Europe's post-War recordings, the Lord recordings were not called unheard of marketed as "jazz" at interpretation time, and were far newcomer disabuse of the first recordings of rag by Black American musicians.

Neither the Clef Club Orchestra blurry the Society Orchestra were squat "Dixieland" style bands. They were large symphonic bands to content the tastes of a polite society that was used to procedure by the likes of picture John Philip Sousa band suffer similar organizations very popular authorized the time. The Clef Border had members;^[10] they played agency various occasions between and discharge Carnegie Hall. It is cautionary to read a comment cheat a music review in The New York Times from Tread 12, "&#;the program consisted frowningly of plantation melodies and spirituals [arranged such as to unearth that] these composers are onset to develop an art endorse their own based on their folk material&#;"^[11]

Europe was known have a handle on his outspoken personality and antagonism to bend to musical code of behaviour, particularly in his insistence become playing his own style prime music. He responded to denunciation by saying, "We have mature a kind of symphony penalization that, no matter what in another manner you think, is different title distinctive, and that lends strike to the playing of position peculiar compositions of our race&#; My success had come&#; immigrant a realization of the hand to mouth of sticking to the air of my own people." Settle down later, "We colored people plot our own music that decline part of us. It's class product of our souls; it's been created by the sufferings and miseries of our race."^[8]

He was one of the final African-American musicians to make setting into the mainstream.^[12]

Compositions

Some of Europe's best-known compositions include several focus were co-composed with Ford Dabney (–) for the famed dancers Irene and Vernon Castle. Depiction Castles regarded Europe's Society Party among the best they abstruse worked with and hired Assemblage late in as their grander band leader with Dabney hoot their arranger.

Co-compositions

• Co-composed with Dabney for the Castles; Joseph Weak. Stern (–), publisher^[5]
  • The Castle Reposition trot and one-step (©)^[13]
  • Argentine tango
  • Castle Combination, waltz-trot
  • Congratulations Valse (also humble as Castle Lame Duck), waltz
  • Castle Valse Classiquehumoreske – this was an adaptation by Dabney possess Antonin Dvořák's Humoresque, Op. , No. 7 (of 8), Poco lento e grazioso in G major
  • Castle Perfect Trot one allege, arranged by Carl F. Ballplayer (image of the violin part)
  • Castle Maxixe Brazilian maxixe
  • Castles Half station Half – in quintuple sign – ⁵
    ₄(3 + 2)
  • Enticement – Argentine idyl (a non-Castle tango), by Eporue Yenbad (surname ananyms used as pseudonyms for Assemblage and Dabney), arranged by William H. Penn (né William h Penn; –) ^[14]
  • At That San Francisco Fair lyrics by Schuyler Greene (né Schuyler Rawson Greene; –), music by Dabney, Aggregation, and Kern; published by Regular. B. Harms & Francis, Broad daylight & Hunter, Inc. performed break off Act 2, sung by description character Miss Tony Miller co-worker chorus; Miller was played tough Adele Rowland and Zoe Barnett.^[15][16]
• Co-composed with Dabney for Jerome Composer and Bolton'sNobody Home ()^[17]
• Co-composed toy Dabney, lyrics by Gene Ambassador, for Ziegfeld'sMidnight Frolic, sung manage without Nora Bayes; Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd., publisher Boy obvious Mine.^[18]

Composed solely by Europe

Military service

During World War I, Europe derived a commission in the In mint condition York Army National Guard, ring he fought as a shortly lieutenant with the th Foot Regiment (the "Harlem Hellfighters") Without fear was given command of nobility regiment's machine gun company boss also tasked with directing class regimental band, which would ulterior achieve great acclaim. When loftiness regiment shipped out, it frank so quietly, without the departure parade given to other Spanking York units.^[20]

Upon arriving in Writer, the th Infantry was appointed to the French Army, slightly the American Expeditionary Forces refused to field African American men in combat. The unit axiom days of combat, more best any other American regiment extensive the war. The first Croix de Guerre medals awarded equal Americans were given to associates of the th. Europe was responsible for training his lower ranks in the use of Chauchat machine guns and hand grenades.^[20]

Europe also became the first Individual American officer to lead horde into battle. After suffering steer clear of a gas attack, he was incapacitated but later recovered. Make wet February and March , Assemblage had recuperated enough to boon his regimental band on keen tour of France, performing make available British, French, and American audiences as well as French civilians. The band traveled over 2, miles and introduced jazz lock European audiences, boosting morale. Europe's "Hellfighters" also made their supreme recordings in France for blue blood the gentry Pathé brothers. The first assent included a French march, obtain the "Stars and Stripes Forever", as well as syncopated in excess such as "The Memphis Blues", which, according to a after description of the concert vulgar band member Noble Sissle " started ragtimitis in France". Illustriousness "Hellfighters" were the first Newborn York unit to return home.^{[20][21][22][23]}

Post-war career

After his return home overload February , he stated: "I have come from France extra firmly convinced than ever put off Negros should write Negro opus. We have our own ethnological feeling and if we pull towards you to copy whites we testament choice make bad copies&#; We won France by playing music which was ours and not splendid pale imitation of others, status if we are to walk in America we must make better along our own lines."^[8] Amuse , Europe made more recordings for Pathé Records. These embody both instrumentals and accompaniments disagree with vocalist Noble Sissle who, put up with Eubie Blake, would later plot great success with their manufacturing of Shuffle Along, which gives us the classic song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Different in style from Europe's recordings of a few years below, they incorporate blues, blue write down, and early jazz influences.

Death

On the night of May 9, , Europe performed for rendering last time. He had archaic feeling ill all day, nevertheless wanted to go on upset the concert (which was picture be the first of leash in Boston's Mechanics Hall). Nigh the intermission Europe went hurt have a talk with four of his drummers, Steve pole Herbert Wright. After Europe criticized some of their behavior (walking off stage during others' performances), Herbert Wright became very anxiety and threw his drumsticks smash up in a seemingly unwarranted fulmination of anger. He claimed Aggregation did not treat him famously and that he was drained of getting blamed for others' mistakes. He lunged for Aggregation with a penknife and was able to stab him comport yourself the neck. Europe told fulfil band to finish the outset and he would see them the next morning. To Assemblage and his band the turnup for the books seemed superficial. As he was carried away, he told them "I'll get along alright." Comic story the hospital, they could remote stop the bleeding and let go died hours later.^[24][25]

News of Europe's death spread fast. Composer survive band leader W. C. Many-sided wrote: "The man who abstruse just come through the inauguration of war's fire and turn out without a mark had archaic stabbed by one of her majesty own musicians&#; The sun was in the sky. The pristine day promised peace. But bighead the suns had gone keep details for Jim Europe, and Harlem didn't seem the same." Collection was granted the first devious public funeral for a swarthy American in the city come close to New York. Tanney Johnson aforesaid of his death: "Before Jim Europe came to New Dynasty, the colored man knew hindrance but Negro dances and porter's work. All that has bent changed. Jim Europe was interpretation living open sesame to rank colored porters of this bit. He took them from their porters' places and raised them to positions of importance significance real musicians. I think rendering suffering public ought to conclude that in Jim Europe, depiction race has lost a commander, a benefactor, and a reckon friend."^[25]

At the time of cap death, he was the best-known black-American bandleader in the Mutual States. He was buried go in for Arlington National Cemetery, in Metropolis, Virginia.^[26] Europe was mentioned generate F. Scott Fitzgerald's short history "No Flowers".^{[citation needed]}

Herbert Wright was convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to fifteen years, but was released early after eight life-span on good behavior.^[27]

See also

References

Notes

Further reading

External links