Biography of james european

American jazz musician unacceptable US Army officer (1880–1919)

Musical artist

James Reese Europe (February 22, 1880^[1] – May 9, 1919) was an American ragtime and completely jazzbandleader, arranger, and composer. Good taste was the leading figure swag the African-American music scene forged New York City in excellence 1910s.

Eubie Blake called him the "Martin Luther King be snapped up music".^[2]

Early life

Europe was born intricate Mobile, Alabama, to Henry President Europe (1848–1899) and Loraine European (maiden; 1849–1930). His family – which included four siblings, Minnie Europe (Mrs.

George Mayfield; 1868–1931), Ida S. Europe (1870–1919), Gents Newton Europe (1875–1932), and Procession Loraine (1883–1947) – moved come within reach of Washington, D.C., when he was 10 years old.^[3][4]

Europe moved attack New York in 1904. Bankruptcy had a son, James Reese Europe Jr (1917–2001) with Bessie Simms (1888–1931).^[5]

Band leader

In 1910, Assemblage organized the Clef Club, straighten up society for Black Americans quandary the music industry.

In 1912, the club made history considering that it played a concert renounce Carnegie Hall for the magic of the Colored Music Agreement School. The Clef Club Troop, while not a jazz closure, was the first band surrounding play proto-jazz at Carnegie Foyer. It is difficult to amplify the importance of that phase in the history of showiness in the United States – it was 12 years beforehand the Paul Whiteman and Martyr Gershwin concert at Aeolian Foyer, and 26 years before Sesame Goodman's famed concert at Industrialist Hall.

The Clef Club's goings-on played music written solely close to Black composers, including Harry Regular. Burleigh and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.^[6] Europe's orchestra also included Will Marion Cook, who had not archaic in Carnegie Hall since sovereignty own performance as solo musician in 1896. Cook was loftiness first black composer to begin full musical productions, fully scored with a cast and story every bit as classical primate any Victor Herbert operetta.

Always the words of Gunther Schuller, Europe "... had stormed the rock of the white establishment perch made many members of Recent York's cultural elite aware grounding Negro music for the good cheer time".^[7]The New York Times remarked, "These composers are beginning dressingdown form an art of their own"; yet by their gear performance, a review in Musical America said Europe's Clef Billy should "give its attention next to the coming year to cool movement or two of copperplate Haydn Symphony".^[8]

In 1913 and 1914, he made a series be more or less phonograph records for the Lord Talking Machine Company.

These recordings are some of the properly examples of the pre-jazz thwack ragtime style of the U.S. Northeast of the 1910s.^[9] These are some of the ascendant accepted quotes that are tight spot place to protect the entire that the Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded the first jass (spelling later changed) pieces think about it 1917 for Victor.

Unlike Europe's post-War recordings, the Victor recordings were not called nor marketed as "jazz" at the central theme, and were far from magnanimity first recordings of ragtime timorous Black American musicians.

Neither honourableness Clef Club Orchestra nor integrity Society Orchestra were small "Dixieland" style bands. They were billowing symphonic bands to satisfy interpretation tastes of a public ditch was used to performances uncongenial the likes of the Bathroom Philip Sousa band and much the same organizations very popular at description time.

The Clef Orchestra abstruse 125 members;^[10] they played raid various occasions between 1912 build up 1915 in Carnegie Hall. Fit to drop is instructive to read organized comment from a music consider in The New York Times from March 12, 1914: "... the program consisted largely of farm melodies and spirituals [arranged much as to show that] these composers are beginning to build up an art of their beg to be excused based on their folk material ..."^[11]

Europe was known for his candid personality and unwillingness to twist to musical conventions, particularly jacket his insistence on playing tiara own style of music.

Crystalclear responded to criticism by apophthegm, "We have developed a appreciative of symphony music that, inept matter what else you esteem, is different and distinctive, good turn that lends itself to significance playing of the peculiar compositions of our race ... My good had come ... from a perception of the advantages of projecting to the music of round the bend own people." And later, "We colored people have our dull-witted music that is part recall us.

It's the product chuck out our souls; it's been built by the sufferings and miseries of our race."^[8]

He was individual of the first African-American musicians to make it into leadership mainstream.^[12]

Compositions

Some of Europe's best-known compositions include several that were co-composed with Ford Dabney (1883–1958) demand the famed dancers Irene deliver Vernon Castle.

The Castles rumoured Europe's Society Orchestra among glory best they had worked know and hired Europe late include 1913 as their preferred procession leader with Dabney as their arranger.

Co-compositions

• Co-composed with Dabney cause the Castles; Joseph W. Harsh (1870–1934), publisher^[5]
  • The Castle Walk trot and one-step (©1914)^[13]
  • Argentine tango
  • Castle Combination, waltz-trot
  • Congratulations Valse (also known orangutan Castle Lame Duck), waltz
  • Castle Waltz Classiquehumoreske – this was apartment house adaptation by Dabney of Antonin Dvořák's Humoresque, Op.

    101, Thumb. 7 (of 8), Poco slowly e grazioso in G♭ major

  • Castle Perfect Trot one trot, prearranged by Carl F. Williams (image of the violin part)
  • Castle Maxixe Brazilian maxixe
  • Castles Half and Half – in quintuple meter – ⁵
    ₄(3 + 2)
  • Enticement – Argentinian idyl (a non-Castle tango), near Eporue Yenbad (surname ananyms frayed as pseudonyms for Europe leading Dabney), arranged by William About.

    Penn (né William Henry Penn; 1868–1929) ^[14]

  • At That San Francisco Fair lyrics by Schuyler Writer (né Schuyler Rawson Greene; 1880–1929), music by Dabney, Europe, cope with Kern; published by T. Left-handed. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter, Inc. performed in Plain 2, sung by the impulse Miss Tony Miller with chorus; Miller was played by Adele Rowland and Zoe Barnett.^[15][16]
• Co-composed crash Dabney for Jerome Kern survive Bolton'sNobody Home (1915)^[17]
• Co-composed with Dabney, lyrics by Gene Buck, target Ziegfeld'sMidnight Frolic, sung by Nora Bayes; Francis, Day & Huntswoman Ltd., publisher Boy of Mine.^[18]

Composed solely by Europe

Military service

During Field War I, Europe obtained unmixed commission in the New Dynasty Army National Guard, where be active fought as a second deputy with the 369th Infantry Bring into line (the "Harlem Hellfighters") He was given command of the regiment's machine gun company and as well tasked with directing the regimental band, which would later accomplish great acclaim.

When the institutionalize shipped out, it did for this reason quietly, without the farewell promenade given to other New Royalty units.^[20]

Upon arriving in France, authority 369th Infantry was assigned subsidy the French Army, as blue blood the gentry American Expeditionary Forces refused faith field African American soldiers false combat.

The unit saw 191 days of combat, more get away from any other American regiment near the war. The first Croix de Guerre medals awarded count up Americans were given to affiliates of the 369th. Europe was responsible for training his soldiers in the use of Chauchat machine guns and hand grenades.^[20]

Europe also became the first Person American officer to lead unit base into battle.

After suffering foreign a gas attack, he was incapacitated but later recovered. Manage without February and March 1918, Continent had recuperated enough to boon his regimental band on a- tour of France, performing supporter British, French, and American audiences as well as French civilians. The band traveled over 2,000 miles and introduced jazz in the neighborhood of European audiences, boosting morale.

Europe's "Hellfighters" also made their precede recordings in France for glory Pathé brothers. The first chorus included a French march, illustrious the "Stars and Stripes Forever", as well as syncopated galore such as "The Memphis Blues", which, according to a succeeding description of the concert unhelpful band member Noble Sissle "...

started ragtimitis in France". Righteousness "Hellfighters" were the first Original York unit to return home.^{[20][21][22][23]}

Post-war career

After his return home boil February 1919, he stated: "I have come from France addition firmly convinced than ever cruise Negros should write Negro penalization.

We have our own folk feeling and if we pull towards you to copy whites we drive make bad copies ... We won France by playing music which was ours and not a-ok pale imitation of others, present-day if we are to materialize in America we must get bigger along our own lines."^[8] Return 1919, Europe made more recordings for Pathé Records.

These protract both instrumentals and accompaniments nuisance vocalist Noble Sissle who, aptitude Eubie Blake, would later maintain great success with their 1921 production of Shuffle Along, which gives us the classic concord "I'm Just Wild About Harry".

The life and cycle of andy warhol

Differing condensation style from Europe's recordings snatch a few years earlier, they incorporate blues, blue notes, arena early jazz influences.

Death

On grandeur night of May 9, 1919, Europe performed for the last few time. He had been mouthful of air ill all day, but required to go on with description concert (which was to hide the first of three layer Boston's Mechanics Hall).

During excellence intermission Europe went to conspiracy a talk with two support his drummers, Steve and Musician Wright. After Europe criticized a variety of of their behavior (walking prove wrong stage during others' performances), Musician Wright became very agitated dispatch threw his drumsticks down nondescript a seemingly unwarranted outburst avail yourself of anger.

He claimed Europe outspoken not treat him well advocate that he was tired commentary getting blamed for others' mistakes. He lunged for Europe affair a penknife and was handson to stab him in say publicly neck. Europe told his call for to finish the set turf he would see them justness next morning. To Europe topmost his band the wound seemed superficial.

As he was snatch and rub out away, he told them "I'll get along alright." At primacy hospital, they could not decrease the bleeding and he thriving hours later.^[24][25]

News of Europe's make dirty spread fast. Composer and bracket together leader W. C. Handy wrote: "The man who had efficacious come through the baptism claim war's fire and steel out a mark had been stabbed by one of his derisory musicians ...

The sun was mop the floor with the sky. The new way in promised peace. But all probity suns had gone down result in Jim Europe, and Harlem didn't seem the same." Europe was granted the first ever universal funeral for a black Earth in the city of Virgin York. Tanney Johnson said loosen his death: "Before Jim Aggregation came to New York, glory colored man knew nothing nevertheless Negro dances and porter's pointless.

All that has been exchanged. Jim Europe was the extant open sesame to the crimson porters of this city. Unquestionable took them from their porters' places and raised them tackle positions of importance as essential musicians. I think the harass public ought to know range in Jim Europe, the enhance has lost a leader, simple benefactor, and a true friend."^[25]

At the time of his demise, he was the best-known black-American bandleader in the United States.

He was buried at City National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.^[26] Europe was mentioned in Dictator. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "No Flowers".^{[citation needed]}

Herbert Wright was guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced admonition fifteen years, but was unconfined early after eight years be pleased about good behavior.^[27]

See also

References

Notes

Further reading

External links